Dragon Morphs: A Digimorphs Tale
by nightdragon0
Summary: Mysteriously transformed into Dragon Digimon, 4 teens struggle adapting to life as Vritramon, Cyberdramon, Flamedramon & XVmon while searching for a way home. Evos & elements of every season will clash in this tale of action, drama and love! [Completed]
1. Premutation

_Digimon_ _/ Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

_Several plotlines were inspired by other sources such as Dragon Drive, Yu-Gi-Oh and Gargoyles, all copyright to their original owners._

Author's note: I'm more used to the Japanese version, so I'll be sticking more closely to that. In this fic, you'll notice that I use mostly Japanese terms for Digimon names and attack cries, but still have a few dub ones in.

I apologize if it gets confusing at times, but it's a matter of personal preference on my part. Don't worry, it shouldn't affect the fic too much!

* * *

**Permutation**

By nightdragon0

**Tokyo, Japan**

_(Note: Assume all dialogues from this section are translated from Japanese.)_

Sekata turned his card over...and sighed with relief once he saw his opponent's card. He didn't need to hear to the judge's decision to know he'd won the match.

And with it, the card game tournament too.

_Ha...my lucky Cyberdramon card. _He smiled inwardly, fingering the card as the crowd cheered him on.

"Looks like perseverance finally paid off." the 16-year-old whistled as he walked along the crowded streets, juggling the package that contained his prize. "And my folks are always telling me card games are a waste of time."

There was a cash prize, a trophy, and most importantly to him, a limited edition set of holographic cards that Sekata was simply dying to get home and dig his teeth into it.

Finally, he was unable to quell his excitement any longer. He stepped to the side of the street and was reaching for the pack when a man in a trench coat abruptly bumped into him, knocking him over and tossing his package onto the ground.

"Sorry!" He said, climbing to his feet and giving a small bow.

The man simply grunted and continued on his way as if nothing had happened.

"Strange..." Sekata muttered, dusting himself off and grabbing his package. That was when he noticed a small pouch next to it, apparently having been dropped by the man in the trench coat.

Looking up, Sekata saw the man disappearing around the corner of the street.

"Excuse me sir! You dropped this!" He called, running after him.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Sekata dashed towards the spot he'd last seen the man. Panting, he frantically glanced around, only to find the man had disappeared into the mass of people.

"Damn!" He cursed. Sekata was beginning to wish he'd never picked the pouch up at all.

As he clenched his fist around it, he felt something familiar. Out of curiosity, he unzipped the pouch to look inside.

"Hmmm...a D-Ark?"

It did look somewhat like the ones from the anime; it had the card reader slot and was roughly the same design, only a little more squarish in shape. This one was completely white and had a different padded strap from below instead of being on top.

It took Sekata a while, but he figured out that the strap was meant to be secured around his wrist and the D-Ark could be grasped upright in his palm without any interference from the strap.

"Is this a new model?" He wondered as he resumed his journey home. It definitely wasn't exactly like a D-Ark, but was the wrong shape for the D-Scans that were being released for Digimon Frontier.

_Who knows? Maybe that person was one of the designers and I just picked up a prototype or something._

He tried pushing the buttons, but was disappointed to find that the screen remained blank.

"Batteries must be out." He concluded, "I'll have to wait till I get back to try it out."

* * *

"I'm home!" Sekata announced, throwing the door open. "Mom?"

He picked up a note from the table.

"Gone to a meeting. Dad and I will be back late, so dinner's in the microwave." He read it out. "And just as well too."

Running up to his room, Sekata tossed his stuff aside and went straight for his screwdriver kit. He flipped the D-Ark over and realized there was no battery section.

"Strange..." He muttered, "Oh well, guess it's just a prototype after all."

Leaving it on the desk, begun going through his deck. He'd just reached his lucky Cyberdramon when he heard the D-Ark beeping.

"Huh?"

With his deck still in one hand, Sekata walked over. Surprisingly, the screen was now lit. It flashed for a while and several words appeared on it.

"Program activated. Please slash in Digimon card." Sekata read, "Cool! Maybe it's solar powered."

Sekata pulled his Cyberdramon card from the deck and stuffed the rest into his pocket.

"Card Slash! Cyberdramon!" He mimicked the Tamers on the anime and struck a fancy pose before slashing the card in.

Immediately, the screen changed.

_Processing. Please Wait..._

_Program accepted. Beginning in 3...2..._

Sekata grasped it tightly in anticipation.

_...1...GO!_

A bight light emerged from the D-Ark.

"What the?"

When he uncovered his eyes, the white color of the D-Ark had been changed to black, with the inner ring being silver in color.

"I...don't believe it!"

Sekata barely had time to recover from the initial shock when another blinding flash emerged. However, he felt some strange force emerging as well. And it was beginning to engulf his entire body.

Screaming, he tried to drop the device. Unfortunately, he'd strapped it to his wrist, leaving him with nothing else to do but cry out...

* * *

**California, USA**

"Steve! Janet! Come check this out!" Zoe yelled running over to her friends, waving a bag about it the air.

"What is it Zoe?" Steve asked, tossing the basketball aside.

It was early on a Sunday morning and the basketball court was empty except for the three 14-year-old students.

"These." Zoe emptied the bag onto the ground, tossing out three white colored devices.

"Hey don't those look like the D-Powers from the TV show?" Janet asked, picking one up. Although they didn't yet know it, these were identical to the one Sekata had picked up in Japan.

"Or D-Arks, cause these look like they're imports." Steve muttered, examining one for himself. "But aren't you a little old to be buying these toys Zoe?"

"You see guys, I sorta found these." Zoe blushed slightly, scratching her head.

"Found them?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, I was just running to meet you guys when this guy in a trench coat bumped into me. He apparently dropped these and walked off without knowing it. I ran after him to try and return them, but he sorta went round the corner and disappeared, just like that." Zoe explained, snapping her fingers.

Steve stared at the Japanese words on the screen.

"My Japanese isn't too good, but I think it says something about slashing a Digimon card in to start."

"Steve, did you bring your Digimon cards with you?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, in my bag. Why? You thinking of giving it a try?"

"Well, couldn't hurt right?" Janet shrugged, "Who know? Maybe these are a new model or something?"

"Just a sec." Steve dug through his backpack, "Ah, here's my deck."

"Lend me your Growlmon card for a while." Janet took the card and slid it through the slot.

Immediately, the words on the screen changed.

"I think it's loading something." She noted.

Steve slashed a Flamedramon card and turned towards to Zoe.

"Erm...you know, I don't really know how to..."

"Here, let me help. Try this XV-mon." Steve placed his hands over hers and guided Zoe's slash.

"Thanks. I was afraid I'd damage your card or something."

"No problem. I just..."

A bright flash of light interrupted him, also causing all three to cry out in shock. Once the light vanished, Janet's Digivice had changed to a purely deep red color. Steve's was decorated in red and orange, like a flame pattern and Zoe's had taken on a completely light blue color.

"Yeow!"

"Whoa!"

"What the?"

There was hardly any time in-between as another blinding light flashed. All three felt some unseen force surrounding them.

Next thing they knew, they were spinning and falling wildly.

* * *

Sekata come to, groaning. He must've passed out.

First thing he noticed that he wasn't in his room, but instead lying facedown on the grass. Opening his eyes, he struggled to his knees and glanced around.

He was in a thick forest with a stream running through. The huge trees shrouded out most of the sunlight, leaving only small streams to shine down on the forest floor.

_This is definitely not home. _

His view...looked a little different too. Like he was looking through a pair of sun glasses. Sekata reached up to find out what it was, but the moment his caught sight of 'his' own hand, he screamed.

"What the HELL?"

It was a reptilian, five fingered claw. Black, with some silver sections at the nails.

"My voice! What's happened to me?"

Sekata could barely recognize his own voice anymore. It was much too deep and gruff. Frantically, he stared at his own reflection in the stream...and got the absolute shock of his life.

* * *

"Ow! What in the world was that?" He heard Janet's voice from close by.

"Uuurrgghhhh...did anyone get the number of that truck?" Steve moaned, opening his eyes.

Steve found himself staring straight at the snout and jaws of some huge red creature.

"AARRGGGHHH! MONSTER!"

"What? Where?" the 'monster' sprang up and begun frantically glancing around.

_Huh? That's Growlmon? _Steve wondered, scrambling to his feet. He could now see the entire creature. _A real Digimon! _

But there was a distinctive feminine tone in its voice. And a familiar one too.

"Erm...Janet?" Steve called out meekly.

"Steve?" The Growlmon asked, "Where are you? And what was the monster bit?"

"Hey, down here!"

"Steve? You're...Flamedramon?"

"Huh? I..." Steve looked down at himself. Indeed, he was, down to every last detail. "Well, you're Growlmon!"

"I...erm..."

There was a long moment of awkward silence throughout the new grassy field that they were standing in.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Janet asked.

"I would try to pinch myself, but I can't do it with claws like these." Steve muttered, holding up his Flamedramon claws.

"I'll try. Ow! OK, I think I just cut my own skin, but I think we're not dreaming." Janet looked down at him.

"Could you not do that?" Steve asked the towering Growlmon.

"Well, what would you have me do? Not look at you at all? I've been turned into a who-knows-how-many foot tall Growlmon and...OW! STEVE!"

"Sorry," Steve said, taking his claws off her tail. "Just making sure that was real."

"Grrrr...at least warn me next time!"

"Damn! I feel so insignificant!" Steve continued, not paying attention to her, "Why couldn't I have slashed in a Wargreymon instead? Or maybe Imperialdramon?!"

Janet swung a claw and smacked him, unintentionally sending him sprawling over.

"This is no time for jokes you idiot!" She growled angrily. "We have a...wait, what did you mean by that?"

"Look, we slashed in some cards earlier on right? And now, we've been transported to the Digital World and turned into the Digimon we slashed in!" Steve explained, picking himself up.

"And how'd you figure that out?"

"It's a common fanfiction plotline."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. But do you still have that Digivice, Janet?"

"Er...yeah, it's been here between my fingers." Janet grasped the tiny-looking Digivice, strapped to one of her huge Growlmon fingers.

"Mine's here." Steve lifted his left arm, revealing the Digivice strapped to his forearm. "Cause I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out these had something to do with it."

"By the way..." Janet cut in. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

Just then, a high pitched scream rang out from a nearby forest.

"Zoe!" Steve and Janet exclaimed simultaneously.

"We have to find her!" Janet yelled, and broke off into a run.

Unfortunately, she stomped the ground so hard that Steve lost his balance, and was thereafter knocked down by her tail.

"Hey! Watch it you big dumb dino!"

"Grrrr..."

"Can it! We have to go help Zoe!" Steve yelled, snapping the Growlmon out of her furious stare. With one leapt, he landed on top of Janet's head.

_Not to shabby. _He thought.

"Come on, get going!"

"Steve, you own me big time for this!" Janet growled, running off with the Flamedramon perched on her head.

* * *

"What do we look for?" Janet asked.

"An XV-mon that acts like Zoe. Duh! How hard can that be?"

Indeed, it didn't take too long for them to find their friend. Zoe was leaning against a fallen tree and sobbing uncontrollably, which looked rather odd considering she had taken on the form of an XV-mon.

"Zoe?" Steve asked, approaching cautiously.

"Steve? Don't look at me! I'm a...a monster..."

"No, you're a Digimon. Take it easy girl, it happened to us too."

Zoe finally turned her dragon-shaped head upwards.

"Steve? Is that you?"

"Yeah, in the flesh. Or whatever it is that Digimon are made of." The Flamedramon nodded, noticing that she too had her Digivice strapped to her wrist. "And that's Jan over there."

The Growlmon behind him gave a small wave.

"Hey Zoe. Some pretty wild things, huh?"

"Zoe, why were you screaming just now?" Steve asked, remembering the situation, "Something attacked you?"

"No. I...woke up...and I was like this...and I started screaming." Zoe sniffed.

"THAT'S IT?" Steve cried out in disbelief. "Screaming just cause you're an XV-mon? Hey, I'd give practically anything to have that hunk of a body you got there instead of this puny little Flamedramon."

Janet promptly clobbered him.

"Steve! You're not helping! Why do you have to be so insensitive at the worst of times?"

"OW! Jan! Stop it all right? It hurts!" Steve moaned, climbing to his feet.

"Actually, I'm beginning to enjoy it." Janet grinned, showing off her fangs.

Steve tried to run, but Janet grabbed him with both her hands and lifted him up above her head.

"Hey!" He yelled in protest.

"Maybe now I can give you a taste of what it feels like to be the smallest one in the group." Janet laughed.

"Baaaadddd dino..." He scolded. "Put me down this instant!"

"Whatever you say..."

"Wait! No!" Steve yelled as Janet prepared to throw him headfirst. "DON'T put me down! But get your scaly claws off me!"

_How can they be so calm in all this? _Zoe wondered, watching her friends. _I want out! I have to...get away! _

Immediately, she started running.

"Zoe?" Janet asked, dropping Steve. "Zoe! Wait!"

The Growlmon ran after her, accidentally stomping on Steve's toes in the process. Zoe was oblivious to the comical sight of Steve jumping around holding his toes in agony, spilling out multiple swear words.

Her Digimon instincts kicked in as she spread her white wings and took off, disappearing through the trees.

"Zoe! Hey, the rest of us can't fly you know? Zoe!"

Janet sighed, realizing Zoe couldn't hear them anymore. She could only watch as the speck disappeared into the distant sky.

"Great, now we've lost her." Steve growled, walking over. "And you girls call me the insensitive one."

"Grrrr..."

The pair stared at each other for a while.

"This is all YOUR fault!" Both yelled.

Fortunately, the only ones around to hear their arguing were the tiny insects and small forest creatures.

* * *

Zoe was flying for five minutes before she realized she was actually doing it.

"Wow...this is...so...unreal!"

When she was younger, she'd watched the birds up in the sky and had always wanted to fly. Now, she was actually feeling the winds rustling between her wings. As she looked down, the area below ran out in all directions, like a gigantic road map. All sorts of tiny shapes moved about below, although she couldn't be exactly sure what they were.

"Maybe...this isn't so bad after all!"

Zoe began trying out all sorts of fancy stunts. Each one seemed to come so naturally, like she'd known how to fly all her life. She started laughing as she played around in the winds.

_Heh, the others are gonna be so jealous! Which reminds me, I'd better get back to them soon. _She though, _But...just a while longer! _

Zoe decided to try one last stunt. Folding her wings slightly, he aimed her snout down and begun plummeting towards the ground. The plan was to spread her wings and stop herself just before she hit it.

_Ha! No roller coaster could ever beat this! _She smiled, closing her eyes.

And in doing so, she failed to notice the armor-clad, humanoid black dragon taking off from the ground below. And he wasn't much in noticing her either.

The next second, Zoe opened her eyes to see the cyborg dragon right in her desired path. He caught sight of her at the same time, but it was already too late.

Both Digimorphs could only scream as they crashed headlong into each other.

* * *

"XV-mon? Daijoubu desu ka?"

Zoe blinked, opening her eyes. She found herself staring up into the face of the dragon Digimon from earlier, who was kneeling over her.

Two things clicked into her mind. One was that she recognized this Digimon as Cyberdramon. And the second was that he didn't exactly have the most reassuring face.

Even with his eyes hidden beneath his metallic mask, it was quite obvious that he was staring dreamily at her with a seductive look on his face.

All this went through her mind in about five seconds. After which, she started screaming.

"Aa! Gomen! Ore wa..."

Zoe didn't wait to hear anymore and promptly kneed Cyberdramon in the special place no guy wants to be hit in.

If he had any eyes, they would've popped out of their sockets. Either way, as he rolled over holding his groin area in pain, Zoe took the opportunity to sprint away as fast as her legs would go. Which was pretty fast.

"Baka..." She heard him curse softly.

Zoe turned back to make sure he wasn't going to attack. Cyberdramon was still kneeling down, but looked up and raised his hand in a 'wait' position.

"Matte kudasai! Abunai!!"

_Wait! Abunai was Japanese for...danger? _She though as she ran.

Zoe faced forward again...and screamed.


	2. Strange Situations

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Strange Situations**

By nightdragon0

_(Note: Assume the following section is translated from Japanese.)_

_Ow! Great going! _Sekata told himself. _Finally get a hold of the situation, learn to fly, then promptly knock out one of the local inhabitants! _

Thankfully, the metal helmet/mask on his Cyberdramon head had protected him from the worst of the shock. But that was more than he could say for the blue, humanoid dragon lying unconscious on the forest floor.

Not to mention all the branches their falling bodies had snapped and smashed.

The dragon had crashed headlong into him, but she looked like she'd be all right.

_Wait a minute, how'd I know she was a she in the first place? _Sekata shook his head. As if things weren't strange enough already. _This Digimon body must have some male instincts. _

He still had his D-Ark strapped to his right wrist, which looked much smaller now than when he'd been human.

_Hmmm...I wonder if this works like it does on TV? _

Sekata brought the Digivice up and pointed it at the Digimon, which he'd already recognized as XV-mon.

"XV-mon." He read the text that had appeared on the screen along with an image. "Champion Level. Dragon Digimon. Special attacks: X-Laser and Strong Crunch."

_She's so...beautiful. I think I like her already! _Sekata stared dreamily, _I wonder if I can ask her out? After all, we're both dragon Digimon. Or get her phone number? Oh yeah, I don't think Digimon carry cell phones. _

"Uughhh..." The XV-mon moaned. She was waking up.

Sekata knelt over her as she opened eyes.

"XV-mon? Are you all right?" He asked.

For a moment, she stared back at him. Then, she started screaming.

"Aa! Sorry!" Sekata started, realizing that she must've gotten the wrong idea of what he'd been doing, "I was..."

Then, pain exploded into his brain as she kneed him in well...THAT place. He could only stare in utter shock and roll over holding his groin area as she sprang to her feet and fled.

"Idiot..." He cursed softly, barely able to keep himself from spilling out anything more vulgar.

However, as she ran, Sekata noticed something strapped to her left wrist. It was a D-Ark, just like his own, except in was completely light blue in color.

_Could it...be? _

"Wait please!" He yelled, holding up a hand. He had intended to ask her about the Digivice when something far more demanding of his attention caught his eye. "Look out! Danger!"

* * *

Zoe screamed as the Cherrymon lashed out with its vines and wrapped them around her neck and limbs, binding her tightly.

_Argh! Can't...can't breathe! _

"Erase Claw!" A blue burst of energy suddenly hit the tree-like Digimon.

It cried out in pain and dropped her. She was immediately dragged out of harm's way before the deadly vines could reach her again.

Zoe looked up to see that her rescuer was the Cyberdramon whom she'd practically 'kicked in the nuts' just a moment earlier.

"Daijoubu ka?" He asked, holding her in his arms and running.

Zoe nodded, assuming he was asking if she was all right.

"Do you happen to speak English?" She asked.

Cyberdramon was taken aback, but he finally cleared his throat and answered.

"Erm...Yes, I do."

"Thanks for saving me." Zoe said, embarrassed. "And...sorry about that 'incident' just now."

"Can we talk about this later? We're in trouble right now!" He yelled as Cherrymon unleashed his Cherry Bomber, firing explosive fruits around like grenades.

"Argh!"

"Yargh!"

Both were thrown to the ground and rolled behind a fallen log for cover.

"What are we supposed to do?!" Zoe asked desperately.

"We fight." Cyberdramon growled. "But I've got something that just might help."

He then lifted up a Digivice that was strapped to his right wrist.

"You've...you've got one of those too!" Zoe gasped.

"I know." He muttered. With his free left hand, he pulled a Digimon card out of his 'belt', or more appropriately, the section along his waist. "Card Slash! Wargreymon, Brave Shield!"

In a flash of light, the golden shield embedded with the Crest of Courage materialized in his hands.

"Wow..." Zoe gasped.

"Excellent! It worked." Cyberdramon grinned. "Here hold it."

The armored dragon shoved it into her hands.

"But, what am I supposed to do with it?"

"Here's the plan XV-mon, you distract him and use the shield to protect yourself. I'll get behind him and attack from the rear. OK?"

Zoe felt a little odd being addressed as 'XV-mon', but she nodded. Cyberdramon gave her a thumbs-up and dashed off to one side, dropping a couple of cards in the process. Zoe didn't even have time to tell him about the dropped cards before he disappeared.

_Oh well, _She thought, grabbing the cards, _got to keep my end of the bargain._

"Hey you! The big moldy tree! I'm over here!" Zoe jumped out and waved.

Growling, Cherrymon fired its Cherry Bombs again.

"Yikes!" Zoe exclaimed, ducking behind the shield.

"Erase Claw!" Multiple bursts of Cyberdramon's attack hit Cherrymon from behind.

The tree was injured and angered, but not defeated yet. Turning its attention towards the new attacker, Cherrymon let loose with all its vines, ensnaring Cyberdramon before he could fire again.

"Help m...mrrrgghhh!" He yelled before Cherrymon wrapped a vine around his jaws.

"Cyberdramon!" Zoe dropped the shield and reached for her Digivice. She was hoping that somehow, she'd know how to use her own attacks. "I'll never beat Cherrymon on my own, but with some help..."

Grasping her Digivice tightly in her left hand, she picked out one of the cards. Even through the words were in Japanese, Zoe had seen the card before and knew what it did.

"Card Slash! Power Charger!"

Zoe felt a fiery strength building up within her. Now, she just had to get her attack right. She spread her hand, revealing the 'X' mark on her muscular chest.

"X-laser!"

Cherrymon was caught off guard by the power of the attack from the Champion level Digimon, in the process letting go of Cyberdramon. The dragon (or dragon-morph) didn't waste anytime in leaping away, using a tree as a springboard and bouncing straight back towards his opponent, claws outstretched.

"Cyber Nail!"

The attack hit home, Cyberdramon's claws piercing right through Cherrymon's body. The tree Digimon let out a dying scream before exploding in a bright flash of light and data bits.

The force of the explosion also sent Cyberdramon flying right into her, knocking Zoe down and landing on top of her. Their faces collided, snout to snout.

For one awkward moment, both stared at each other.

"Erm..."

"Sorry!"

Cyberdramon jumped off and collapsed on the ground beside her.

There was silence for a few more minutes.

"I always wondered what crispy fried cherries tasted like." Zoe finally giggled.

Cyberdramon broke into a grin. Then a laugh.

In the end, both of them burst out laughing with relief.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another forest several miles away, Steve and Janet were still arguing about whose fault it was that had sent Zoe running off.

"My fault?" Janet growled, kneeling down to stare the Flamedramon in the eye, "You're the one who started it!"

"You're the one who made it worse, so don't complain!"

"Grrrrr..."

"Grrrrrr..."

"OK, cut it out, Let's try and act rational here." Janet said, waving her claws up.

"Do we even look rational at all?!" Steve yelled, tapping his chest.

"I meant that in a...OH never mind! Come on, we've got to look for Zoe." Janet turned and started walking, "I hope she's all right. After all, who knows what mean and nasty things and running around here?"

"Well, you're certainly one of them." Steve muttered.

"Ggrrrrrr..."

"Erm...nothing!" Steve peeped. (With an anime sweat drop.)

"I'm gonna keep 'eating you whole' as one of my options." Janet growled as she resumed her pace.

Steve leapt onto the Growlmon's head.

"Hey!"

"Come on Jan, don't be a spoilsport! Not like I weigh that much, right?" Steve laughed, taking a cross-legged seating position on a flat portion of her head.

"Aw, whatever." Janet muttered, not in a mood to argue.

The pair continued on in silence for a while.

"Do you know where we're going?" Steve finally asked.

"No."

"That's great. Cause I don't know either."

"Oh, what a startling revelation!" Janet scowled sarcastically.

"You know," Steve continued, lifting up the Digivice strapped to his left forearm, "I wonder if these things work like in the show? You know, time and map functions and such."

"Hmmm..." Janet thought, looking at hers, which was strapped to one of her left fingers, "They just might, but it'll be rather difficult for me to use mine. Considering it's size is like those mini cell phones to a human."

"Isn't that good?"

"No, cause I can't push the buttons properly with these kind of claws." She said, showing off one of her three-fingered claws for emphasis.

"Mine are no better." Steve muttered, looking down at his hands. "But let's see, if I can just bend these..."

Steve managed to bend his three-fingered claw to a position where he could grasp the Digivice firmly.

"Got it. Maybe I can do this after all. Now..."

He aimed the Digivice at himself and pushed a button. An image of Flamedramon flicked onto the screen, together with some text.

"Flamedramon." He read, "Armored level. Dragon Digimon. Special attacks: Fire Rocket, Knuckle Fire. Hey, this is cool!"

He aimed it down at Janet and the screen changed.

"Growlmon. Champion level. Dinosaur Digimon. Special attacks: Exhaust Flame, Plasma Blade. Has a small brain and extremely limited mental capacity..."

Janet immediately lifted a claw and smacked him like an insect on her head.

"Jerk! The last part wasn't in the bio!"

"Ow! Can't you take a joke?! What do you want to do? Give me permanent brain damage?!"

"Short of biting you head off, yeah."

"This thing has a map feature too." Steve continued, rubbing his head. "And...Uh-oh!"

"What?"

"We seemed to be surrounded by a whole swarm of red dots!"

"And what do those mean?"

"Other Digimon. Most likely hostile." Steve read the legend.

"I think I can hear them already!" Janet cried, "The chittering? Sort of like birds?"

"Yeah, look!" Steve stood up, pointing. Practically every bush was rustling.

"We're in trouble." Janet cringed.

* * *

It had been love at first sight.

Sekata finally conceded to the voices in his head and admitted that it was true. Out of the blue, she'd come flying into his path.

Now, they'd just fought a battle together and had come out victorious. The stage had been set perfectly. He just had to move the first piece and everything would be running smoothly.

_And you'll have the perfect mate. WHAT?! _The thought had just popped into his head. Troubled, Sekata quickly shook it away. _What's wrong with me? I'm human! Stop thinking like some sort of a wild animal! _

"Excuse me, but about that Digivice around your wrist..." XV-mon's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, much to his relief. "Could I assume you're not REALLY a Digimon?"

That confirmed it! He was no longer alone in this world! Sekata wanted to jump for joy, but managed to suppress it to just getting back onto his feet.

"You're...human too, right?" He asked.

"Normally anyway." She nodded, "Name's Zoe."

"Sekata." He spoke, offering his claw and helping her to her feet. "It can be pretty dangerous out here. I've got a cave nearby that we can take shelter in. How bout we go there and we can share some information?"

He held his breath. Would she trust him enough to follow him?

"Yeah, that'll be great." Zoe smiled. She looked and the floor hesitantly before continuing. "And thanks for saving my life."

"You did the same for me." Sekata put a hand on her shoulder, "So, I guess we're even."

"Not really. I suppose I still own you for my, erm, surprise attack." She giggled.

"Don't remind me." Sekata replied with a sigh.

Zoe laughed.

_Wow...she's cute too! _Sekata was seeing mini-hearts and cupids all around his field of vision. He did feel a little like he was taking advantage of their current predicament. Still, this was the first time in his life that he'd done anything successfully with a member of the opposite sex.

_Situation or not, I really like her now! But...I can't just tell her that outright! I'll have to take it slowly... _

_He's so cool. _Zoe thought, _But what am I feeling now? That I...I'm so comfortable around him? Come on, you just met him ten minutes ago and you're hoping he'll ask you out? No, I'm sure it's just cause we're both in the same situation and we need each other. Is it? _

* * *

The bushes rustled and out stepped a swarm of Kiwimon.

"Those pint-sized chickens are considered trouble?" Steve whispered into Jan's ear.

"Well, there are a lot of them." She replied softly.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Steve asked. "We can try and run, or we can wait and see if they're friendly."

"We? I'll be the one doing all the running!"

The first line of Kiwimon had already stepped up to them.

"Pummel Peck!" Like a squad of soldiers, they fired off their attacks straight at Steve and Jan.

"Argh!"

"Look out!"

Janet covered her face as several of the projectiles slammed into her tough hide. She got a running start and leapt clean over the line of Digimon in their path.

"Exhaust Flame!" she roared.

BOOM! Part of the squad scattered as the explosion rocked the area.

"That...that was an accident!" Janet said, surprised at the destruction she'd just caused.

"Cool!" Steve grinned. "I've gotta try attacking too!"

With a roar, he jumped into the sky.

"Fire Rocket!" Covering his body with searing flames, he tilted his angle and dove horn-first into another group, sending the small birds flying off in all directions.

"OH YEAH! Knuckle Fire!" Steve threw off three fireballs from his right claw, blowing up a couple of the nearest Kiwimon.

"Great, now we've made them mad." Janet muttered, throwing off another breath attack to help Steve.

"Hey, I just realized I still got these here." Steve was reaching beneath the 'vest' covering his chest and pulling out a Digimon card, carefully grasped between two of his oddly positioned talons/fingers.

"What, you want to challenge them to a card game!?"

"No. But remember this?" Steve used his arm to shift the position of the Digivice, then swung it by the strap and caught it in the 'palm' of his left claw. "Card Slash! Heavy Metal!"

In a flash of light, a weapon reassembling a wrist mounted rocket launcher appeared on his right arm, in place of the card.

"Watch this!" He laughed, aiming the weapon at his opponents.

"Steve, can you handle the recoil of that thing?!" Janet asked.

"What recoil? I just need to pull the trig...yyyaaarrgghhh!"

The weapon fired off a powerful laser, but also sent Steve flying back into a tree, losing the weapon in the process.

The next instant, a bunch of Kiwimon was upon him, leaping onto and attacking their fallen opponent.

"Ow! OW! Get off me dumb birds!" he yelled, waving his arms about wildly. "Jan! Some help here!"

"Always leaving me to clean up your mess." Jan sighed. "Just like in the Chemistry lab."

"Jan! Help! Please!" Steve yelled desperately.

"Oh, all right." She stared straight at him. "Exhaust..."

"What the?! NNNOOO! DON'T!!"

"...Flame!"

However, the shot didn't hit Steve, but instead the ground beside him. With another deafening explosion, Steve was sent flying off into the distance.

"Later birdies!" Janet waved as she begun running.

_Looks like Growlmon can run pretty fast if they want too. _Jan thought as the Kiwimon swarm was soon left far behind.

She'd been tracking the flying speck in the distance and followed it all the way until it finally begun to descend.

"OK, he should be landing right about..." Jan scratched her head and pointed with her other claw.

Still screaming, Steve hit the ground, creating a large crater in the forest floor.

"...there!" She laughed, snapping her fingers.

"JAN!!" Steve yelled, more angry than injured, as he jumped about. "I asked you to HELP me. NOT SEND ME BLASTING OFF TEAM ROCKET-STYLE!! AND YOU ACTUALLY SHOT ME!! I'D SWEAR YOU WERE TRYING TO HIT ME ON PROPOSE!!"

"I was." Janet calmly replied. "I just missed. Anyway, you're alive right?"

"Yeah. BUT YOU NEARLY KILLED ME!!"

"I didn't anyway. So now, I..." Jan was swaying about.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, "Are you hurt?"

"No, exhausted." Jan's eyes were flickering open and close. "Barely...stand. Need to...lie down."

Her knees buckled over and she begun to fall. Steve suddenly realized he was right in the Growlmon's path.

"Wait! No! Don't fall this..."

BAM!

The Flamedramon had his chest pressed against the ground, with only his head and neck free of being stuck under the Growlmon's stomach area.

"Jan! Get off me!" Steve yelled, futilely struggling, wiggling his head and neck about. "I can't move!"

"That goes for both of us." Janet mumbled, eyes already closed. "Night...ZZZZzzzzzz..."

"Jan? Jan?! JJJJJAAAANNN!!" Steve screamed in outrage. "YOU B#&#H! I hate you!"

"Yeah, yeah. Heard it all before." Janet muttered, "Hate you too Steve. Night...ZZZZZzzzzz..."

_Why me? _Steve moaned.


	3. Reunion

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Reunion**

By nightdragon0

"It's here Zoe." Sekata shoved some branches away to reveal a cave.

"Thanks."

The pair walked in and Sekata gestured for her to have a seat on a pile of palm leaves, used as a makeshift cushion. Sekata ran his claws along a stone, which produced some spark that he used to get a fire started.

The orange glow lit up the cave with a warm light, reflecting off the Cyberdramon's shinny armor as he sat down.

"Welcome to my den. It's not much, but make yourself at home."

Sekata's tone dampened slightly when he said the word 'home'. Zoe didn't know what was with her newfound friend, and certainly didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she had nothing to work with either.

"You...been here long, Sekata?"

Sekata brought his claw up to some scratch marks on the wall. He'd been keeping track of the time he'd spent here.

"Almost a month now." He said softly.

"By yourself?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry. You must be pretty lonely."

"Don't worry about it." He put his smile back on. "I've gotten used to it. In a survival situation, it's tough to feel that way most of the time. By the way, I guess we should hear the rest of each other's stories."

"Yeah, well there's nothing much to mine. I bumped into this guy in a trench coat and he dropped some Digivices. I picked them up, gave two to Steve and Janet and we slashed some Digimon cards through." Zoe said, fingering with her Digivice. "Next thing we know, we're here and as Digimon. I was basically upset, flew off and crashed into you. You know the rest."

"Hold on. When did the man bump into you? The date I mean."

"Let's see. It was Sunday, 12th May."

"Odd, that's the same day someone bumped into me and dropped my Digivice too."

"You're kidding." Zoe gasped, looking up.

"It's like we activated our devices at the same time, but there was a time gap between your group and I entering this Digital World." Sekata contemplated.

"Now, that's really odd."

"Well, we can't do anything about it now." Sekata leaned back against the wall. "We should get some rest. It'll be dark soon, so we'll have to look for your friends in the morning."

"Hope Steve's OK." Zoe said, looking out of the cave. "Janet too."

"You're...really concerned about him?" Sekata looked up with interest. He was raising an eyebrow, through it was hidden beneath his mask.

"Who? Steve? No way! I think he actually likes Janet, just that he hasn't got the guts to tell her."

"I see." Sekata said, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

"Steve's a lot like you. You know, sports and card games and stuff. And he's your typical wisecracker. Jan's sort of a computer person. She's actually quite short and Steve loves annoy her about that. And me, well I'm..."

"Screamy? Loud?"

"Hey!"

"Haha! And pretty good as a Digimon."

"Thanks. But not as good as you."

"It's tough." Sekata nodded. "I'm been living around this area trying to get the hang of my new form. I've been staying out of the way of most other Digimon. Those around here all seem to be dumb and nasty. And I have utterly no idea what my digestive system was designed for. I admit, I thought I was never going to be able to speak with another human being. Well, sort of."

"Heh, you're real cute, you know dragon-boy." Zoe laughed.

"So are you. And far more so than I. That XV-mon suits your true beauty perfectly." He smiled, moving closer, putting his left claw around her shoulder and taking her claw with his free one.

"You're just saying that." Zoe smiled. She wasn't making any attempt to move away. She looked like she was enjoying the warm, muscular grip of his hand.

_Come on! You've got her now! _The voices in his head screamed.

_Don't loose this chance!_

_She's right where you want her to be! _

_Go! Go! _

"I really mean it." He said, lowering his head.

Sekata felt Zoe grasping his arm more tightly. She was moving closer too.

_That's it! In for the kill! Come on!_

"That's real sweet." Zoe said, raising her head.

Their snouts were practically in front of each other.

_Almost...almost..._

BAM!

The pair gave a simultaneous yell of surprise and turned to see the strong wind had blown a broken tree limb against the entrance of the cave.

"Whew, that was a fright." Zoe muttered.

"Yeah..." Sekata nodded.

"Guess we should be getting some rest, Sekata."

"I...oh, yes definitely."

"Good night then. See you tomorrow."

Sekata nodded as Zoe lay down and rolled over to sleep. The Cyberdramon quickly turned away and was able to suppress his own scream of agony. (With the anime waterfall tears effect.)

_NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! _

* * *

"I hope you slept well." Steve muttered sarcastically as Janet finally got to her feet. And got OFF him for that matter.

"Except for the sharp object under my belly, yeah." The Growlmon moaned groggily.

"Thanks a lot." Steve continued in his sarcastic tone. "Although it was pretty warm under there." He added in quietly, "Might've actually been good if I wasn't completely immobilized."

Stretching his cramped muscles, he dashed and leapt up a huge tree. Digging both the claws on his hands and feet into the bark and climbing with a superhuman speed, he scaled the 50-foot tree in a matter of seconds.

Janet gasped as she watched the blur of motion that was her friend reach the top branch. She could just barely make out his shape.

Squinting against the morning sun, Steve cupped his eyes as best as he could with his claws and scanned the surrounding area.

"Wow, don't think that's something I can do while I'm like this." Jan commented. "See anything?"

"A sea of trees." The Flamedramon replied.

"Well, duh! We're in a forest. Anything important?"

"That was the most important thing."

"I wonder what he considers trivial then." Janet said to herself.

"Wait a sec. Over there!" Steve pointed. "There's a lake that seems to lead on to those mountains in the distance."

"That's all?" Janet asked, disappointed. The lack of any distinct landmarks would make it difficult to navigate in the wilderness.

"The lake's in the middle of a clearing, so it's visible from the air. Maybe if we wait by it a while, Zoe might come passing over and spot us."

"I suppose it's the only plan we've got and... hehehe..."

"What's so funny, Jan?"

"All the way up there Steve and you're certainly calm for someone who's afraid of heights!"

"Nonsense, when are Flamedramon afraid of heights?" Steve laughed.

Unfortunately, he chose that moment to look directly down and realize REALLY how high up he was.

"Erm...eep!" He gasped.

There was a long moment of silence.

"Steve? What's going on?"

"Erm...Flamedramon aren't afraid of heights...BUT I AM! HELP!!"

Janet swore she could hear his knees knocking. She snickered, thinking about telling it to Zoe the moment she got a chance. First thing though, she had to get him down.

"Don't think about the distance Steve!" Jan yelled, "Just let the Digimon instinct take control and you'll be able to just jump down."

"Are you insane?! That'll be like bungee jumping without the rope!" Steve protested.

"Then perhaps you'll need a little 'persuasion', hehehe..."

"Jan?! What are you doing?!"

Attached to either of Growlmon's forearms was a pair of retractable blades used in one of the attacks. Jan was grinning evilly as she brought up one of them.

"Oh nothing." She whistled innocently. "Just practicing my...Plasma Blade!"

"Hey! AARRRGGGHHHH!" Steve yelled as Jan chopped his tree down.

As the tree begun to fall, so did Steve. However, before even mid-way through the fall, the Flamedramon righted himself in midair. Janet watched as he veered to his left, bouncing off the falling tree and springing to the next. Using the next tree as a springboard, he bounced back.

Keeping to these motions, he neared ground level and used his momentum to propel himself towards Janet, clinging on to her nose.

"Whew! You were...right about...the Digimon...instincts part!" He panted.

"Zatts bery zood. Zow zet off ma nose!"

"Oh, sorry." Steve pulled himself up onto the Growlmon's head and calmly walked up, between her eyes, and took his spot on top of her head. "Come on, get going!"

"Don't get used to that." Jan growled as she walked.

"Already am." Steve grinned, lying down and crossing his legs. "A little bumpy, but sure beats my dad's car."

Janet sighed.

_I want out of this Dinosaur! _

* * *

"Ready Zoe?" Sekata asked, dousing the fire by stepping on it.

"As I'll ever be, I suppose." Zoe nodded. She'd strapped a pouch around her left shoulder, an item Sekata had been holding onto when he was pulled into the Digital World. He'd given her several cards too, just in case they ran into more trouble, which was a likely outcome.

As the pair begun their hike, Sekata turned back and glanced towards the cave. He seemed hesitant to say goodbye to his temporary home, the only safe haven he had in the dangerous Digital World.

"You OK?" Zoe asked, putting a claw on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, it's time for me to move on." Sekata nodded, immediately snapping back to his cheerful tone. "I think I've spent long enough hiding in there."

"We'll find my friends, then we'll start looking for a way to get back home." Zoe reassured.

"Yes. We'll head on to the lake I told you about. It's a short walk, but an even shorter flight. You up to it?"

"The flying?"

"It's easy." The Cyberdramon said. "You just let the Digimon do the flying and you concentrate on where to go."

"How?"

"Like this!"

Sekata grabbed her from behind and tossed her up into the air, flying up after her. Zoe let out a slight scream, but realized her wings were moving without conscious though, just like before.

"See, not very difficult, right?" Sekata smiled as they rose above the treetops together.

"Yeah, wow! You're right!"

"Good. Then," He whacked Zoe hard on the shoulder, "Tag! Catch me if you can!"

He immediately flew off.

"Hey! You had an unfair advantage!" Zoe growled, giving chase.

Sekata slowed down, letting her catch up, and at the very last moment, swerved away, sending Zoe to charging into empty air.

"Missed!"

"You just wait!" Zoe grinned, making a turn, "I'll get you yet!"

Soon the pair was engaged in an aerial tag game, laughing, practicing with their wings and trying out all sorts of stunts. Basically, acting like a couple of young children. Not like there was anyone there to see them.

Or so they thought.

* * *

Eventually, both exhaustion and the realization that they'd been goofing off set in. Together, they descended to the lake below. As they did so, Sekata took Zoe's hand in his own. Zoe looked back at him and smiled.

"Heh, that's really sweet ya." A rough voice came from behind them.

Both dragon-morphs spun round to see a humanoid Digimon in a black leather outfit sitting in a tree nearby.

"Who are you?" Sekata asked.

"The name's Beelzebumon. Mercenary extraordinaire." The virus Digimon jumped down and showed off one of his guns.

Sekata kept one hand on his card belt as he continued to talk.

"You were watching us?"

"It wasn't very difficult, ya? Anyway, you two make such a cute couple. Ya see, my boss happens to want to meet the two of you. I can assure you it'll be pretty beneficial, ya."

"Something really doesn't feel right about this guy." Zoe whispered.

"Yeah, I know." Sekata replied. Then to Beelzebumon, he asked, "One thing; how does he know about us? And for what purpose?"

"Hey, they ain't paying me to ask questions, ya. I'm a mercenary, ya? I just do the dirty work." Beelzebumon had his hands on his pair of gun now. "They also told me to use force if necessary." He grinned, "So, you coming nicely, or do I have trouble, ya?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sekata noticed Zoe nodding to him. This was a bad spot and it was time to take action.

"Actually...trouble's my middle name!" Sekata whipped out a card, not to slash, to throw instead.

The flying card distracted Beelzebumon so he looked up at it and not at Sekata's fist flying into his face. That was immediately followed up by Zoe sending a flying kick into his chest.

"OOf!" Beelzebumon stumbled and fell backwards.

Sekata calmly caught his card and grinned.

"Not that tough, are you?"

"Argh! You'll pay for that, ya." Beelzebumon scrambled to his feet and aimed his weapons.

Sekata and Zoe snapped into fighting stances, ready to attack or evade. However, something else interrupted them first.

"Stand down you fiend, or suffer my wraith!"

All heads turned up towards the sound of the voice. High up on a tree branch, silhouetted against the blinding sunlight, stood the familiar shape of a Flamedramon.

"Steve!" Zoe realized.

"Looks like I caught you just in time." Steve said, waving.

With a roar, he leapt off the branch and caught a vine. Swinging from vine to vine, Steve did a Tarzan impersonation as he swung towards the awed group on the ground below.

"Hey, watch out for that..." Everyone else yelled.

"Oh shit!" Steve cursed when he realized his final swing was off course.

WHAM!

"...tree."

(Everyone sweatdrops, anime style.)

"Ouch..." Steve moaned as he slid down the tree and landed with a thud on the floor. (With the scraping and screeching sounds.)

"All right, so where were we, ya?" Beelzebumon turned his attention back to the remaining two.

"About to beat you up, that's what!" Zoe clutched her Digivice, ready for action.

"Grrrrrrr..." Sekata growled, doing likewise.

There was a long stare-down as the two groups faced each other. Nothing moved except for the wind stirring up a pile of leaves. Then...

RRRRRING! RRRING!

"D'oh!" Beelzebumon pulled out a cell phone and answered it. "Ya, what? Boss? You...want me back there? Ya, but I'm...OK, OK! I'll be there, ya."

Sekata and Zoe were both staring, mouth-opened.

_Guess I was wrong about the Digimon with cell phones bit. _Sekata told himself.

"Well, well, today's your lucky day kids." Beelzebumon snapped his fingers and a motorbike rolled up from its hiding place in the bushes. "I gotta run, but I'll leave you with a bit of entertainment first, ya?"

He hopped on and kicked the ignition, but tossed a shiny object on the floor as he sped off in a cloud of exhaust.

"We'll fight another time, ya?" The dark Digimon called as he disappeared.

"Weird." Zoe muttered.

"Yes, but what's that?" Sekata asked, pointing to the object Beelzebumon had dropped. "Looks like a CD."

Suddenly, the disc emitted a bright flash.

The dragons had to shield their eyes, but Sekata noticed a huge shape was beginning to take form. When the light was gone, they were staring up at one angry-looking Megadramon.

"Yikes!" Zoe gasped.

"Zoe, is your friend all right?" Sekata asked, nodding towards Steve, lying facedown on the floor. "You should go check on him."

"And leave you to fight THAT thing all by yourself?" Zoe protested.

"Kanzen type Digimon. He and I are on the same level."

"Huh?"

"Perfect Digimon. Oh, what do you call it in the States? Ultimate level?"

There was no time for any more debating. The gigantic Digimon was already beginning to make its move.

"Go!" Sekata urged, raising his claws. "Erase Claw!"

Zoe nodded reluctantly and dashed towards Steve.

"Steve, wake up!" Zoe said, shaking him.

"Ow! Man, I gotta aim first next time."

"Yeah, sure. Where's Jan?" Zoe queried, glancing toward the battle, where Sekata was now flying round Megadramon in circles, firing off his energy blasts.

"Over here!" The Growlmon appeared, pushing her way through the trees. "Sorry, but I had some trouble getting through."

"Good, cause we've got to help him." Zoe gestured.

"Wow, Cyberdramon." Janet gasped, "Looks like he's doing fine."

"Darkside Attack!"

BOOM!

"GGggaarrgghhh!"

Sekata was thrown roughly to the ground, smashing down several trees in the process. Megadramon roared and turned towards the rest of them.

"Watch out!" Steve yelled. The group had to jump away as a pair of missiles detonated the spot they'd been standing on.

"We have to take him out." Zoe decided.

"Definitely." Steve agreed, readying his Digivice.

"And what am I supposed to do?" Jan asked, "I can't even use my Digivice properly with these hands!"

"Give it to me," Steve gestured, "I'll do it for you."

Reluctantly, Janet complied, tossing the D-Ark into Steve's claws.

"Card Slash..."

"...Hyper Speed Plug-in B!" Zoe yelled.

"...White Wings!" A pair of shimmering wings appeared on the Flamedramon's back. Satisfied, he slashed a card for his friend's benefit. "This one's for you Jan, Thor's Hammer!"

"Move it!" Zoe warned as Megadramon fired again.

With her enhanced speed, she easily dashed away and flew around Megadramon. Steve, with the White Wings, did the same on the other side. Janet grasped the huge Crone Digizoid hammer that had materialized it her hands and used it to deflect the missiles away.

"Take that!" She roared, tossing the hammer. "Exhaust Flame!"

The two attacks stunned the mechanical dragon, giving Zoe and Steve the chance to strike from behind.

"X-laser!"

"Knuckle Fire!"

Megadramon hit the ground hard.

"Did we get him?" Jan wondered.

Unfortunately, the dark dragon roared and raised its head. It was damaged, but not defeated yet.

"Damn! Persistent Bastard!" Steve cursed.

Zoe noticed Sekata several feet away, facing Megadramon's back. The Cyberdramon was getting up and reaching for his card belt.

"Card Slash! King Device!"

Everyone watched in amazement as Sekata grew larger and larger until he was the size of Megadramon.

"Who does he think he is? Ryo Akiyama?" Steve muttered.

With a roar, Sekata grabbed his opponent in a chokehold from behind and drove his left claw through its back and out through its chest. In spite of that, the mechanical dragon kept on struggling and trashing about. The Cyberdramon was barely keeping it restrained.

"He's still having trouble!" Janet warned.

Sekata used his forearm to push Megadramon's head back, revealing its unarmored throat.

"There! He's hinting us!" Zoe pointed.

"Zoe, give me a boost and I'll get it." Steve said.

Zoe grabbed him by the arms and flew him closer towards the battle.

"Now!" Steve jumped and aimed his horned head forward. "Fire Rocket!"

The attack separated its head from the rest of its body. Megadramon exploded into a stream of data bits.

"All right! Was that good or what?" Steve landed and did as good a thumbs-up as he could with just three fingers.

"Not bad at all." Janet commented, running over.

"Erm...guys." Zoe muttered, "We have a problem."

Although the Cyberdramon had returned to normal size, Sekata was still standing in his guarding stance, letting off a deep, low-pitched growl.

"Sekata?" Zoe carefully approached him, "Are you OK?"

He only continued to growl.

"What's wrong?"

Suddenly, he lashed at her with his claws. Zoe barely had time to jump backwards.

"Sekata! It's me! Zoe! What's wrong with you?!"

"He's lost control of his Digimon half." Janet realized.

"Remember how Cyberdramon have a lust for battle?" Steve nodded, "The fight must've stirred it up and now the human can't control it. That lust must be causing him to remain feral."

"Can't we snap him out of it?" Zoe asked, without taking her eyes off Sekata.

"On TV, they said he has to fight as much as he wants to before calming down." Janet said, "And unfortunately, since we're the only other Digimon around..."

"...he thinks we're the enemy." Steve finished.

"There has to be another way." Zoe said softly. "Sekata, you recognize me don't you?"

"Grrrrrrrrr..."

"Take control! Get touch with your human side!" She was slowly approaching him again.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

"Be careful Zoe, he looks like he's going to attack." Janet warned.

"He won't attack me," Zoe persisted, looking back at her companions. "I know it."

That was when she heard him roar.

"ERASE CLAW!!"


	4. The Digimetal Knights

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Digimetal Knights **

By nightdragon0

"Get down!" Steve yelled, tackling Zoe.

The maneuver took them both to the ground, fortunately out of harm's way as the blue burst of energy exploded.

"He SHOT me!" Zoe staggered in disbelief. "He ACTUALLY SHOT ME!!"

"It's not his fault." Janet assured, "He doesn't realize what he's doing!"

"Excuse me, but I'd worry about us and not him right now!" Steve yelled as he and Zoe dodged another attack. "That guy's a whole level above us! Which equals 'we're all gonna die'!"

"Shut up!" The girls shouted at him.

"But we have to try and knock him out, without hurting him too badly." Zoe decided, facing the berserked Cyberdramon. "I'm sorry Sekata, but this is for your own good as much as ours. X-laser!"

"I'll help out." Jan nodded, "Exhaust Flame!"

Sekata dodged both attacks and came right at Zoe.

"Rrraarrgghhh!" She met him head on, grasping each other's claws and engaging a fierce wrestling match. Janet came from behind and grabbed onto his shoulders, attempting to restrain him. Sekata, however, kept on struggling, making it difficult for the girls to hold him down.

Seeing Digimon with superior size and strength being worn down, Steve got out a card.

"Card Slash! Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, Omega Sword!"

The gigantic white sword materialized in Steve's claws just as Sekata succeeded in breaking free and throwing Zoe into Janet, knocking both down. He turned to face the fallen morphs, exposing his back to Steve.

The perfect opportunity.

"This has gone far enough!" Steve roared, charging and leaping into the air, sword aimed for a downward thrust.

"Steve?!" Jan gasped.

"NO! Don't do it Steve!" Zoe begged.

"GGGGrrrrrraarrgghhhh!" Steve brought the sword down.

Zoe covered her eyes.

However, Steve changed the angle at the last possible instant and instead, smacked the back of Sekata's head with the flat end of the sword.

WHAM!

The startled Cyberdramon staggered forward several steps before his knees buckled over and he hit the ground face-first with a loud thud.

"Ow!" Steve muttered, dropping the sword. "Damn! That guy has a bloody thick helmet!"

"Steve!" Zoe yelled furiously, grabbing his shoulders and lifting him up, "You could've told me that first! Dammit! You really scared me!"

"That served well enough to distract him." Steve grinned, "See, not so stupid after all, am I? Now, would you kindly put me down so I can give him some medical attention?"

In no mood to argue, Zoe complied.

"As long as Steve didn't break his neck, he should be all right." Janet was reaching down to examine the unconscious Sekata when his body suddenly begun to glow.

Everyone gasped as Sekata changed into another Digimon in front of their eyes.

This Digimon had a similar body structure to Cyberdramon, minus the wings. He was slightly shorter than before and mostly purple in color except for his white chest scales. He had a helmet similar to Cyberdramon's, only with reddish hair coming out that went down past his shoulder level. Metals armor plates adorned his shoulders, ankles, tip of his tail and claws. While his feet remained the same, his hands had changed to become similar to Flamedramon's three-clawed structure. Sekata wore a pair of green Bermudas on with leather straps tied at random places, including the waist and upper leg. Finally, he wore a choker around his neck and had some patterns tattooed onto his bare chest.

"Cool, he looks a lot like a street gangster from the movies." Janet commented.

"Let's see." Zoe activated her Digivice. "He's now a Champion level Digimon, Strikedramon. Attacks: Strike Fang and Strike Claw."

"If everyone's done, I suggest we look for a more secure location." Janet suggested, "We don't want any more Digimon creeping up on us while he recovers."

Her companions nodded in approval.

* * *

Sekata woke up staring at something gray. As his vision cleared, he realized it was the ceiling of a cave. He caught a flash of blue at the corner of his eye and turned his head to see Zoe kneeling over him.

"Sekata? How are you feeling?" The XV-mon asked.

"The back of my head hurts like hell." He moaned, "So, did we get him?"

"Yeah, we kicked his ass. But you..." Zoe begun.

Out of Sekata's point of view, Steve frantically waved a claw and put a finger on his jaws. He was indicating for her not to say anything about the incident from earlier.

"... just took a knock on your head." Zoe finished, "Nothing to worry about with that thick helmet."

"Oh, OK. Knew there was a reason that it's stuck to my head." Sekata sat up and got a look at his body. "Huh? What's happened to me?!"

"You just reverted to your Champion form, Strikedramon."

"I know. I've got the card. I was just a little surprised, that's all." Sekata examined himself, "Hmmm ... this is a pretty nice outfit through."

Zoe then helped him to his feet. Sekata gasped, as she was now a head taller than him. Or more specifically, he'd shrunk a little in size.

"I was getting used to looking you in the eye." Zoe laughed. "Anyway, these are my friends. This is Steve over here."

Glancing around, he saw Steve the Flamedramon sitting cross-legged beside a fire. Rain was also pouring down outside, viewable through the cave entrance.

"And there's Janet. Unfortunately, she couldn't fit in here."

"Yeah, a crying shame too." Steve laughed, "And Dino-zilla was the one who suggested we come this way."

"Steve, that's not funny!" The Growlmon's head appeared at the cave entrance. "You people are all warm and dry in there while I'm soaking wet and miserable out here."

"Jan, you haven't succeeded in devolving, have you?" Zoe asked.

"Why do you think I'm standing out here?" Jan growled.

"Hey, you know if Sekata was able to devolve, then the rest of us should be able too, right?" Steve suddenly asked, looking up.

"Sounds sensible." Sekata nodded.

"And if we can devolve, then we should also be able to evolve, just like any other Digimon!" Steve concluded.

"That might be true." Janet said from the entrance, "But what ... "

Before she could even finish her sentence, Steve was grasping onto his Digivice and begun shaking it wildly, jabbing all the buttons.

"Come on! Make me Digivolve!" He yelled, "Come on stupid thing! What do I have to say?! Shinka? Shinka! Shinka! SHinka! SHINKA!"

Everyone else stared mouth opened at him, (sweatdropping too) and shrugged their shoulders.

Shaking it at its wild pace, Steve accidentally dropped his Digivice. As it landed, a holographic projection was activated, showing the image of a rotating Digivice.

"Oops!" Steve muttered.

"Hey, look! There's a message!" Zoe pointed, bending down to read it.

"What does it say?" Jan asked, trying to peer in as far as possible.

"Your journey has begun travelers." Zoe read the flashing holographic words, "A journey that will fulfill your destinies. Whatever you may see this as, Sekata, Zoe, Steve, Janet, you choose to come here on your own. You will have to see this through to the end."

"Who is this?!" Sekata growled aloud, "How does he know our names?"

In response, a new message appeared.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." Sekata read, "I am Omegamon. Our time grows short. Trust in yourselves and in each other. I am praying for your success."

The screen went blank.

"Wait!" Sekata yelled, grabbing the Digivice, "Success for what? Why did you bring us here?! What do you want us to do?!"

He received no answer. However, the Digivice beeped and a compass arrow appeared, only it was three-dimensional. The arrow pointed northeast, up the mountain whose foot the cavern was at.

Everybody was silent for a while.

"I guess we have to follow it." Zoe sighed.

"Yeah, not like we have many options anyway." Janet agreed.

"Unless we want to live out the rest of our lives here as common Digimon." Steve nodded.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Sekata said softly.

Everyone stared at him.

"Relax, that was just a thought. I'll still be coming along with you people, of course."

* * *

The next day, the group began their trek up the mountainside. It seemed that others had passed by before, as there was a crude winding pathway that had been cut through it.

"This place almost looks like the Rocky Mountains." Zoe commented, admiring the scenery. "My dad took us there once and we walked along a trail that was something like this."

"That must've been very nice." Sekata nodded, walking beside her.

"Do you hear that?" Jan asked. "I think it's a waterfall."

"Over here!" Shouted Steve, who was ahead of the party, "You've got to see this!"

Rounding the bend, they were treated to the magnificent sight of the waterfall. Water roared down from what seemed like the top of the mountain down to the plunge pool in front of them. From that, a wide stream cut across the pathway and ran off the edge of the mountain, down to the streams and forests below.

"Wow." Zoe gasped in awe.

"And we get a free drink too." Janet grinned, "My throat is so dry."

"But we've got nothing to collect the water with." Zoe said.

"Who cares?!" Everyone else cried, plunging their snouts into the stream and drinking greedily.

"Oh well." Zoe sighed, following suit. "My mom would kill me if she found out."

"I think that that's the least of our worries right now." Sekata said between slurps.

Suddenly, he snapped up and glanced around.

"Did you see it?" He asked hastily.

"See what?" Steve asked.

"That shape." Sekata growled, "It moved. Something's here. I can feel it."

Zoe and Jan also stood up, in anticipation that something was going to happen.

Suddenly, a pair of cables shot up from the water and wrapped themselves around Janet. The Growlmon cried out in surprise as she was dragging into the water.

"Jan!" Steve cried.

"Behind you!" Janet yelled, while struggling with the thrower of the cables.

A glowing white arrow exploded between the remaining three Digimorphs, sending them in different directions.

"I'll take care of him!" Zoe yelled, flying upwards to the sniper perched on a rocky outcropping.

Steve was trying to get to his feet when Sekata was thrown back into him.

"Argh!"

Steve stumbled backwards and slipped off the cliff edge. Desperately, he dug his claws into the rocky surface. Fortunately, they held.

"Strike Claw!" Sekata roared.

Steve managed to pull himself up enough to see the Strikedramon fighting with two roughly humanoid figures. Before he could identify them, the battle stirred up a cloud of dirt, which got into right his eyes. Screaming, Steve accidentally withdrew his claws.

Almost instantly, he was hit by an electric burst from somewhere, preventing him form regaining any hold on the rocky surface. Then, he was falling ... falling ... and falling. It seemed endless.

He could briefly make out the screaming, yelling, sounds of the battle and some black shape jumping down after him. Even with his vision severely blurred, he could see that the shape would not reach him in time.

That was Steve's last thought before his mind blacked out.

* * *

Steve moaned. Someone/something was licking his face.

"Please be all right." A voice said, "Please! I'm really sorry about that! I didn't know it was you!"

"Ugh ... " Steve managed. "Huh ... "

"You're OK!" The voice cried happily, "Thank god you're all right. After a fall like that, we were sure you wouldn't make it!"

Steve was aware that he was lying down on his back, on something soft. There was numbness throughout his whole body, but he could feel a piece of cloth over his eyes. He tried to sit up, however the pain that coursed through his body forced him to lie down again.

"Argh!" He moaned.

"Don't try to move." The voice continued in a soft tone. "You're badly injured and all bandaged up. What was that they said? Oh yeah, you left shoulder was dislocated, you cracked a bunch of ribs, you broke a bunch of teeth and were bleeding in too many places to count. "

_No wonder I feel like hell. _

"Who ... are you?" Steve asked.

He reached up with his right hand, the only part of his body that didn't seem to have any bandages on it. He noticed it felt slightly different, still with three 'fingers', but without his gauntlets on.

Steve felt the snout of his unseen companion. It was covered by an armored helmet that felt of a similar shape to his own, only with jagged teeth-like projections where it ended, above its wear's jaws. Behind his head were his 'ears', it seemed.

His companion never moved a bit and allowed him to run his claw along the single horn that protruded from his nose. It was shaped like a lightning bolt.

"Raindramon?!" Steve gasped.

"You DO remember me bro!" Raindramon cried happily.

"Why ... are you calling me bro?" Steve asked, very confused.

"Bro ... it's me, Raindramon! Your brother! Don't you remember me?!" The armored Digimon's tone had abruptly changed to a sad one.

"Raindramon." A female voice said, accompanied by the sound of an opening door. "I'm sorry, but I told you it wasn't him."

"Yeah ... " Then to Steve, he put his paw into Steve's right hand, "Sorry about that. I have to go now."

Steve heard the Raindramon sniffing as his footsteps died away.

"Please forgive us." The female voice said, "We attacked thinking you were enemies. We didn't mean to hurt you like this." She stepped closer and knelt down beside the bed. "Fear not, you're among friends now."

"She's got a way with words, but she's really a nice Digimon." Sekata's voice came from the doorway.

"Sekata! Am I glad to hear your voice!" Steve smiled. "Now, would someone answer me and tell me who these people are?"

"Oh, how impolite of me." The female voice said, "I am Magnamon, leader of the Digimetal Knights."

"Just think 'Jedi Knights' crossed with 'King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table', and you'll get the idea." Sekata laughed. "Don't worry through, they're the good guys."

"That's great." Steve said, "But where are we?"

"You're at our home base, Aragonite Castle." Magnamon replied. "High up in the mountains."

"And she literally means 'castle'." Sekata added in.

"As in medieval England?"

"If you put it that way, yes." Sekata nodded. "The girls are talking to the others knights now about this whole mess that we're in."

"Jan and Zoe. Are they all right?"

"Yes, just a few cuts and bruises here and there. You were the worst off, after taking that plunge off that cliff."

"Jeez, I must've been a total mess." Steve laughed softly.

"You have no idea." Magnamon sighed.

"That pool of blood around you was so large that Zoe fainted when she saw it." Sekata informed him. "Still, I could've easily have ended up like you. Magnamon here had me pinned down and was about to blow my head to kingdom come when you went over and Raindramon yelled for everyone to stop."

"That stopped the entire fight." Magnamon agreed. "At least your suffering was not in vain. You essentially averted your friends of the same fate."

"Raindramon ... " Steve muttered, "What was with ... ugh!"

Pain shot up his shoulder.

"Perhaps we should let you rest." Sekata touched Steve's claw. "By the way, they had to remove your armor to treat you. It's over in the closet here, just to let you know."

"Hey ... so I'm ... naked?" Steve asked.

"That's an interesting way of putting it." Sekata whispered to him. "Naked Digimon. That's a laugh!"

Magnamon just giggled a little.

"Anyway, leave the rest to me. You just heal fast." Sekata assured him.

Then two then left Steve alone in the room.

_Raindramon._ Steve's thoughts lingered. _What was with him? Why did he sound, so sad? _

Eventually, exhaustion pulled him back into the world of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Wow ... "

Zoe was simply awed. She'd never seen a dining hall this big before, let alone been in a castle.

"It does look pretty grand, doesn't it?" Gold V-Dramon asked her. "It was a lot better when there were more of us."

She was the armored evolution of Veemon with the Digimetal of Fate. Gold V-Dramon was exactly like a normal V-Dramon with the exception of her golden coloring.

"There were more?"

"That was before. Now it's down to a small fraction of our pervious strength."

Just then, a humanoid figure stepped into the room. He was dressed somewhat like a Japanese Samurai in light armor with a two-horned mask on. By his side hung two wooden swords, also known as the 'ken' in Japanese.

"Yasyamon," Gold V-Dramon addressed him, "what's up?"

Yasyamon gestured towards the two of them, then pointed down the hallway.

"They're calling a meeting?"

The silent Digimon nodded and left just as quickly, his tail swinging behind him.

"That was Yasyamon." Gold V-Dramon said, "He's sort of weird sometimes and a loner. He doesn't talk very much, but he really is a nice fellow under that mask."

"I see." Zoe replied. He'd been one of the other Digimon that Sekata had fought with earlier on, together with Magnamon. "For someone who uses the Digimetal of Purity, you'd expect him to be more ... "

"More open? He generally is, just that he's got strange ways of expressing that." Gold V-Dramon laughed, "But come on, let's go meet the others."

Zoe was led down a series of winding hallways into an even large chamber. It was clearly a meeting room, with a long table and chairs set up for everyone. At the end of it were a large screen and a computer on a pedestal, clearly for the speaker's use.

There were already several Digimon in the room, amongst them Sekata and Janet. Sekata waved to her and she took a seat beside him. Janet sat on the floor behind them.

Magnamon stepped up to the pedestal and clapped her hands together to quiet everyone down.

"Greetings everyone." The golden armored knight spoke, "You all know that I'm not one for long speeches, so I'll get right to the point."

She glanced over to Sekata, Zoe and Jan.

"My name is Magnamon. I'm the leader of the Digimetal Knights, as I told some of you. Once again, I wish to apologize for that unpleasant welcome we gave your party. We acted out of precaution, for the dark forces in this world have been on a rise lately. Our brotherhood is one dedicated to combating these dark forces and protecting the Digital World from their evil. We do realize you have a wounded comrade, so you are welcomed to stay here as long as you so desire."

Sekata nodded to the girls then spoke.

"You have our gratitude for this honor." He said, trying to sound very formal.

"These are my fellow knights: Sagittarimon of Hope, Depthmon of Faith, Gold V-Dramon of Fate, Yasyamon of Purity."

Sagittarimon was a centaur clad in fiery red armor of a similar pattern to Flamedramon's. He too had a single horn that protruded from his helmet. Like any archer, he was never without bow and quiver of arrows at his side. The sniper from earlier on stood with his arms folded, giving a slight nod to acknowledge his presence.

Depthmon was a cross between a diver and a merman. Covered in blue, gray and white armor, dolphin-like tail replaced the lower half of his body. He too wore a helmet that covered his face completely, however orange hair could still be seen coming out from beneath it. He looked a little odd, sitting on the ground out of water, but didn't seem to mind. The cables that had entangled Jan earlier on were one of his attacks.

"The kid's not here." Depthmon noted. He was referring to Raindramon, the youngest of the group.

"He needs a while to cool down." Magnamon told him. "Anyway, Sekata has told my your story and I believe that you may be the chosen ones from the legends."

"Chosen ones?" Janet asked.

"They're just some old stories, but they spoke of four warriors coming from a faraway land. I sent another of our knights, Gargoylemon of Light, to check up on this at a nearby town's library. He should be back ... "

Just then, the double doors flew open and the Digimon she'd been speaking about stumbled in. He certainly did reassemble a Gargoyle, except colored white with a blue tail and claws. His 'armor' comprised of what seemed like leather straps around various parts. A pair of those straps wrapped around his eyes, forming a protective mask over it.

"I've just witnessed an abomination in the monastery graveyard!" He panted, "Theevildigimonisusingavirustoresurrectthedataofourfallenashisundeadwarriors.Evennowheliespoisedtoattack!"

Everyone stared, unable to keep up with the panicked soldier.

"Calm down and say that again." Magnamon ordered.

"Myotismon's back." He said, taking a deep breath.

"And up to his old tricks again." Sagittarimon growled, putting a hand on his bow. "This time, I'll make sure to finish him for good."

"What was that about the data part?" Zoe asked the knights.

"When Digimon die, their bodies break up back into data, which returns to the flow of the Digital World." Depthmon explained. "However, if there are too many deaths at once, some of the data may get lost. It lingers around, like a ghost. Especially around the monastery site, on which ancients battles were fought between good and evil."

"This is what Myotismon uses to create his armies, which is why he must be stopped." Magnamon added in.

"I also heard him taking about seeking the 'chosen'." Gargoylemon said.

"Because of us?!" Sekata asked, shocked. Were they the targets of the whole attack?

"Don't feel that it's your fault." Gold V-Dramon assured them, "This is the way of the dark ones."

"Whatever it is, we're going with you then." Jan decided.

"Yeah," Zoe growled, cracking her knuckles, "whoever he thinks he is, I'm gonna give him a good lesson in pain!"

"Right, let's go!" Sekata declared.

The three Digimorphs barged through the doors.

"Wait!" Gargoylemon called.

"What?!" All three simultaneously yelled back.

"Do you even know where it is?" Gold V-Dramon asked.

(The three Digimorphs sweatdropped.)

"Oh, erm ... forgot that minor fact." Sekata laughed sheepishly.

"Are all humans this weird?" Depthmon wondered.

Yasyamon, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, remained silent and shook his head.

"Haha, I used to be young like that." Sagittarimon laughed.

"Now, if everybody's done joking around." Magnamon cut in. "Gold, I need you to stay here and watch Raindramon and the wounded morph. You are the medic, after all."

Gold V-Dramon was visibly annoyed at being left out of the battle, but she still nodded and gave a salute.

"As for the rest of you: Digimetal Knights, move out!"

"Sir! Yes sir!" All the knights saluted.


	5. To Be, or not to Be?

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**To Be, or not to Be? **

By nightdragon0

"Hey, what was all the noise just now?" Steve asked the moment he heard his door opening.

"Oh, did we wake you? Sorry about that." Gold V-Dramon replied. "Some evil Digimon showed up and your friends went off with the rest of the knights to take care of it. I'm sure they'll be fine, so don't worry."

"Bah, looks like I'm missing all the action." Steve sighed. "But you still sound rather uneasy yourself."

"It's hard not to, I guess. Especially since when someone comes back inured, I have to work overtime."

"Then you're the medic right? They called you Gold or something?"

"Yes, Gold V-Dramon is my name."

"Anyway, I want to thank you for fixing me up. It's also kind of hard trying to get to recognize all of you by your voices alone." Steve gestured to the bandage over his eyes. "By the way, what's this for anyway?"

"Oh, you ... you had some deep cuts rather close to your eyes." Gold V-Dramon explained. "I cleaned them up, but I decided to put the bandage over your face, just in case."

"I see. Well, not literally, but you get the point." Steve laughed. He had however, sensed some hesitation in the medic's voice. Was there something she didn't want to tell him?

Steve decided not to ask her about it now.

"If there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know." Gold V-Dramon added in.

"Actually, there is something I want to know." Steve lowered his voice to a whisper. "Is Raindramon here?"

"He's up at the watchtowers." The golden armored dinosaur replied. "But why do you ask?"

"He kept on calling me brother and I sincerely felt like he meant it. Is there something behind this?"

"I suppose they'd have to tell you eventually." Gold V-Dramon said softly. She closed the door and sat down beside Steve's bed. "Raindramon had an older brother, a Flamedramon, like you. He was our previous commander and also the one who helped form our brotherhood."

"Sounds like he was pretty good." Steve whistled.

"Yes. He was one of the most skilled warriors I'd ever seen, easily surpassing even Digimon older than himself. Many others joined our cause. Those were the better days."

"Then, what happened?"

"One day, we arrived at a seaside town just in time to ward off an attack from a swarm of aquatic Digimon. As the enemy forces retreated, our sources all pointed to them re-grouping at the eastern shore. Our plan was to attack and take them out before they could escape. But then Flamedramon had a hunch that they would instead gather at a cove by the west. Magnamon and him got into a fight about it. In the end, he let her take all the troops to the east, while he went off to the western area by himself. Flamedramon promised us he'd immediately call for back up if it turned out he were right. But ... "

"He never did, did he?"

"Yes." Gold V-Dramon gritted her teeth. "His hunch was right after all. When we found nothing, we went after him. There were signs of an ambush and a fight on the location, but no sign of Flamedramon. We searched for weeks around the surrounding area and the seas, but found nothing."

"Then, Raindramon ... "

"Poor boy was heartbroken. Magnamon was forced into the leadership role, although she still blames herself for Flamedramon's death. But she wasn't able to hold the group together and soon, everyone begun leaving, until it was just us left."

"Geez, that sucks."

"Magnamon isn't bad at all, but I feel her weakness is that she's still trying to be Flamedramon and not herself." Gold commented. "So, anything else you'd like to know?"

"How about whatever you talked to my friends about just now?"

"All right then. It's like this ... "

Gold V-Dramon slowly detailed out everything from the meeting earlier on.

However, Steve found himself only half listening. Instead, his mind kept on drifting back to the image he never saw of Raindramon looking sadly over him. Now that he had heard the whole story, it wasn't too hard to image the young Digimon's feelings at that moment.

_Raindramon_

Another image came to Steve's mind. However, this one was of himself, standing over by his older brother's coffin, at the funeral.

_I've been through what you're going through now. If only ... if only I could help to ease your pain, my friend. _

An idea snapped into Steve's mind. Perhaps, there was a way ...

* * *

The mist shrouded valley ahead of them seemed peaceful and quiet, but Sekata knew better than to think that way.

"That's it?" Zoe asked.

"Yes." Magnamon nodded. "And there lies our adversary."

It had been about an hour's walk/flight from the castle. The group waited up on a ridge for their scout to return.

"And here he is now." Sagittarimon pointed.

Gargoylemon swooped down into view and landed in front of the group.

"I've completed my recon of the area." The scout reported. "Of the three entrances, the northern and southern gates are heavily guarded by patrols of Bakemon. However, the western one seems, rather untouched, I would say."

"Smells like a trap." Magnamon muttered. "Anything else?"

"I couldn't get any closer or risk detection."

"All right then." Magnamon acknowledged. "Depthmon should already be in position up river. Sagittarimon, Gargoylemon, I want you two to meet up with him and provide us with a distraction. Go give a knock on his front door. I'll take the rest of the group and walk into his 'trap'."

"You like to live dangerously, don't you?" Sekata asked.

"So I've been told." She replied. "You kids can still back out now if you want."

"NO WAY!" Sekata, Zoe and Jan burst out.

"And just who are you calling 'kids'?" Sekata added in. "I bet I can go in there and whip that guy's ass before you can say 'Digimetal Up'!"

Yasyamon grunted and shook his head, letting off a soft laugh.

"OK people," Magnamon nodded. "If we're all done with the questions, let's move!"

* * *

Gold V-Dramon sighed, walking up to the quarters of her colleague, Raindramon.

_I just know I'm going to regret this. _She thought, think back to Steve's proposal.

"You want me to WHAT!?" She'd yelled.

"Please Gold." Steve pleaded.

"I ... I can't do it! It's ... it's just wrong! What's going to happen if he finds out then?"

"He won't." Steve insisted. "Not until the time he's ready and gotten over his loss. Then, I'll be able to break the truth to him."

"But, that could be a long time."

"I'll wait, as long as it takes. Gold, I'll take responsibility for this whole thing, I promise you."

_I just hate being so nice. _

"Raindramon?" She asked, knocking on the door.

"Go away." Came the reply.

"Fine, I'll go then. But I just have to tell something about the Flamedramon. I was checking him through and it seems like he was suffering from amnesia prior to the incident."

"Hmmm?"

"What's interesting was that he seemed quite transfixed when I told him your brother's story. He pointed out several things that I hadn't told him yet. And he apparently had a memory of being dragged out to sea, washed down with the current and swimming to safety."

"Wait, so this means ... " The young Digimon's voice had changed to an excited tone.

"I'm not claiming to confirm anything." Gold V-Dramon continued. "And I'm not saying Magnamon was wrong either. But there just might be a possibility that ... "

Before she could finish her sentence, the door flew open, smacking her in the face.

"It was bro after all!" Raindramon cried happily. "He's just got amnesia! That's all! Bro! I'm coming!"

The black armored Digimon sprinted down the corridor and disappeared, leaving Gold V-Dramon with a very sore nose.

"Oh boy." She said softly. "Steve, what have you made me do? Magnamon's gonna kill me for this..."

* * *

The bright white light of an explosion was seen from the other side of the area.

"Sagittarimon's Judgment Arrow." Magnamon said. "Go! Go! Go!"

The group sprang from their hiding places in the bushes and raced for the western gate.

"Magna Blast!"

"Exhaust Flame!"

"X-laser!"

The two Bakemon guards were deleted before they had a chance to sound the alarm. Most of the guards had already charged to the main, northern gate, where the attack was supposedly coming from. Leaving this entrance only lightly guarded.

Sekata noted that the area did indeed look like a graveyard. Long grass, old stone walls and stone markers. The markers however, were not individual gravestones, but rather memorials of an ancient battle.

The party of 5 encountered little resistance in making their way to a building in the center. It led down into a mausoleum, where Magnamon suspected their quarry was hiding.

"Looks like that's the last of the spooks." Sekata called, tearing his claws through the last of the Bakemon.

"Yeah," Zoe nodded. "I think we're ... ugh-oh!"

She'd just spotted another group of Digimon approaching. Amongst those she recognized were Deltamon, Tyranomon, Snimon and Tuskmon. However, instead of being their normal colors, all of them were completely black with glowing red eyes.

"This was what Gargoylemon said about the data of the fallen being resurrected." Magnamon growled. She fired off several missiles, blowing the arms off the nearest Deltamon. However, it kept on walking until Yasyamon attacked with his swords and took its head off. Only then did the body fall and dissipate into data bits.

"They're like the zombies in those old movies." Jan commented. "You've got to kill them by decapitation."

"Hargh!" Zoe leapt aside to avoid a Twin Sickles attack, then grabbed the Snimon's bladed arm and threw it into its companions. "We won't be able to fight them off forever!"

"We need to take Myotismon out." Magnamon said.

"Right." Sekata nodded. "Zoe, Jan, think you can hold these guys off here?"

"No prob!" Zoe gave a thumbs-up. "We'll be all right. You and Magnamon go on ahead."

"But don't take too long." Jan growled, blocking a Blaze Blast with her arms and slicing the Tyranomon zombie in half.

Yasyamon was already in the middle of the zombie pack, leaping and swirling with his swords flying in all directions.

"All right." Magnamon nodded in approval. "Sekata, this way."

The Strikedramon somersaulted over several zombies and raced after the golden knight as she led him to the mausoleum in the center. The entrance was sealed shut by a huge, stone door.

"There's a combination that's used to open this door." Magnamon said, touching some symbols at the side. "Damn! He's scrambled the code!"

"Well, I'll unscrambled it then." Sekata growled, getting out a card. "Card Slash! Attack Chip!"

With his newfound strength, he drove both fists into the door, shattering it into rock fragments.

"Sekata, do you know that this is an ancient memorial?!" Magnamon scolded.

"Send me the bill." Sekata laughed. "Come on, or else I'll get to have all the fun!"

He took off, running down the spiral stairs. Magnamon sighed before following his descent into the darkness.

* * *

"OK, OK, bro. Don't shove too many things at me at once. My head's still rather fuzzy, you know."

"Yeah, but you were gone for 6 months, and I ... I just have so much to say."

Gold V-Dramon stood outside the door and eavesdropped on their conversation. Raindramon, naive as ever, had of course jumped to the most obvious conclusion. Although, she had to admit this was the first time she'd actually heard the young Digimon happy since Flamedramon's death. Steve had the best intentions in mind, but she was still worried about how'd she'd explain it to the others.

Gold suspected too, that Steve had definitely had some motive for pushing himself into that position. What and why, were beyond her.

"You should get up and take a look around." Raindramon was saying. "This medical room should be pretty familiar to you."

"Gold told me not to move around too much." Steve protested.

"Oh, don't worry about her. You should remember that she's real fussy when it comes to these things, but she's the medic, so I don't blame her."

_EXCUSE ME?! _Gold managed to prevent herself from storming in there and screaming it out loud.

"Anyway, only your left arm's in a sling, and you shouldn't move that. But don't worry about the rest of the bandages." Raindramon explained.

"OK then. Here goes. Whoa!" Steve had finally given in to his 'brother's' request.

"Here, hold onto me."

"Thanks."

Just then, the com-link on the wall beeped. It was part of the communications system installed throughout the base, which was mainly used in relaying information to troops in the field and back. Gold tapped a buttons and activated the speaker.

"Gold," It was Depthmon. "I think the others need a little help. The waterways are limited, so I can't get really close."

"All right. But do you think we can leave the kids in the castle alone?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I'm on my way Depthmon."

"Roger. Over and out."

Gold shut off the com-link and prepared to depart. However, she paused at the door, trying to decide whether or not to interrupt their 'reunion' or just go on ahead.

"That's odd." Raindramon's voice said. "I don't remember you having any wounds on your face at all."

"Than what's the bandage for?" Steve asked.

"I dunno. Maybe you should take it off and look. There's a mirror right over here."

"Yeah, a while couldn't hurt, I guess." Steve agreed.

_Oh shit! _Gold realized. _He'd better not! _

"NO! Wait, don't do that!" The medic yelled, barging into the room.

Too late, Steve already had the bandage removed from his eyes. Raindramon was standing aside with a confused look on his face. Steve was blinking his brown eyes and seemingly staring at the mirror.

Unfortunately, Gold V-Dramon knew what he was really seeing.

"I'm ... I'm ... blind." The Flamedramon staggered. "I'M BLIND!"

* * *

Zoe had just realized how out of place she was. The whole thing had been so exciting that she'd gone along, and now, she was getting knocked back to reality.

"Argh!" The Exveemon ducked beneath the claws of two Tyranomon, rolling away as they crashed into each other. "Card Slash! Queen Device!"

Sekata had told her that this card would give her a temporary power boost. Seeing herself glowing with a pink aura, she fired off her X-laser, blowing the group of zombies in front of her to bits.

"Wow, he was sure right about that." She panted, shielding her face from the flying pieces.

Suddenly, Yasyamon pulled her out of the way just seconds before a Blaze Blast annihilated the spot she'd been standing on.

The samurai-like Digimon threw his remaining sword into the attacker, dissipating him.

"Thanks." Zoe breathed.

Yasyamon nodded, but then looked up at the approaching zombies. There still seemed to be as many of them as ever.

"Judgment Arrow!" A glowing white arrow was fired into the group, blowing them apart.

Gargoylemon swooped down from the sky and tore a couple of zombies to pieces.

"Sorry we took so long but we had a few problems." Sagittarimon yelled. "Depthmon's taking care of some ghosts up river."

"You guys see Jan around?" Zoe asked. "The Growlmon?"

"She was over there!" Gargoylemon pointed.

"I'm going after her." Zoe flew off without waiting for a response. She had to deal with several Snimon in an aerial battle, but she eventually spotted her friend.

The Growlmon was backing off, torching zombies with her Pryo Blaster and slicing up any that got too close. Unfortunately, she also happened to be unknowingly backing up towards a large trench.

"Jan! Watch it!" Zoe yelled, gesturing behind her.

Jan didn't hear her as she was still too far away, and only waved back, indicating she was fine.

"No! Look behind you!"

Too late, Janet took another step and fell backwards into the pit. The Digimon zombies immediately swarmed her, taking advantage of her fall and leaping down after her.

"NO!" Zoe cried desperately.

Her moment of distraction was turned against her as a Snimon shot her out of the air. Zoe hit the ground hard. She was still trying to get the ringing out of her ears when she heard Jan cry out a familiar phrase.

"EVOLUTION! MEGALOGROWLMON!"

A bright flash of light, then a thunderous roar, followed that.

"Atomic Blaster!"

The powerful blast sent data bits flying everywhere. Zoe could only sit up and stare, mouth-opened as the newly evolved form of her friend.

"Jan?"

* * *

Steve sat by the pond, head on his lap. He could head the splashing of the water from the fountain and the sounds of the birds chirping nearby.

He just couldn't see them.

Grapping a pebble, he tossed it into the pond. He heard the 'plop', but couldn't see that either.

"Gold's left." Raindramon's footsteps approached. "She'd like to give you a formal explanation, but ... "

"But duty calls." Steve finished, nodding.

"Don't be mad at her bro." Raindramon said, lying down beside him. "She had the best intentions in mind."

"I never said I was mad at her."

"Yeah, that's right. You should be mad at me instead. I was the one who knocked you off that cliff in the..."

"No!" Steve blurted out. "I mean, no. I don't blame you either. You know, I feel thing's happen for a reason. It's just up to us to decide what that reason is, and then find out how we work with it."

"That's just like something I knew you'd always say bro." Raindramon smiled, nuzzling him.

"Let me ask you this: if someone just like me had told you this same thing about my death, would you still have acted as you have until now?"

"Gee, that a tough one. I really don't know. Could be better, could be worse. But, you're here now, so it doesn't really matter, right?"

"Yeah." Steve forced a smile, putting an arm around Raindramon's head.

_Lying with the best of intentions. _Steve thought. _They always said that 'what goes around comes around'. I've taken the shock, but now how to I break the truth to Raindramon and spare him of this pain? _

Steve mentally cursed himself.

_Oh god, what have I done? _

* * *

The corridor led along a straight pathway until it came to a huge, iron door. Guarding it was rather gigantic, humanoid Digimon clad in white and silver armor.

"You'll not get any further than this!" Knightmon declared, drawing his sword.

Sekata gestured with his snout for Magnamon to go ahead. The armored knight nodded in approval and the pair charged together.

" Strike Claw!" Sekata leapt up and attacked their opponent's face, giving Magnamon time to slide between his legs and slip through the door. "Take that!"

Sekata launched a barrage of kicks and punches, followed up by clamping his fangs into Knightmon's arm. The only reward he got for that was a few broken teeth.

"Mahahahaha!" Knightmon laughed evilly.

"Eep ... " Sekata muttered.

The Strikedramon was grabbed and smashed through the wall. Sekata found himself in a secret passage, amidst a pile of bricks. He didn't have much time to comprehend this however, barely managing to roll away from Knightmon's sword attack.

"Come on!" Sekata taunted, rolling to his feet.

"RRrragghh!" Knightmon let of a battle cry.

Sekata dodged the huge sword twice, and then caught it with both his claws on the third swing, attempting to wrestle it out of his opponent's hand. Knightmon grunted as he struggled to keep his hold.

_Yes! _Sekata thought triumphantly. _As long as he doesn't have another sword, I'll be all right. _

His jubilance was short lived, however. Right on cue, the dark knight reached behind his back and pulled out another sword with his free hand.

"Shimatta!" The Digi-morph cursed.

* * *

Magnamon followed the corridor into what could be described as a tribal shaman's personal storage room. However, this was instead a vampire lord's lair. And in front of her, stood the vampire himself.

"You're here at last." Myotismon laughed, standing up. "Just as was expected of you."

"Shut up!" Magnamon growled, opening up her hidden missile racks. "This time, I'm here to take you out for good!"

"Oh you wouldn't want to do that." The vampire continued calmly. "Certain chemicals in this room may prove to be, rather explosive."

"You're bluffing."

"Possibly. But can you afford to take that risk?"

"Dammit!"

During the conversation, three hidden laser cannons had revealed themselves on the wall behind Magnamon. Unbeknown to her, they had already locked on to their target.

Myotismon grinned as they fired.

In a split second, Magnamon spun round, whipped out a golden-bladed lightsaber and deflected all three shots back into the laser cannons. Myotismon was visibly annoyed as his hidden cannons blew up.

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks, as they say." Magnamon grinned, pointing her lightsaber at him.

"Humph. So, we decide this with our sword skills instead." Myotismon reached under his cloak and activated a Darth Maul-style double bladed red lightsaber. "On guard!"

"Hargh!"

"Yargh!"

Sparks flew as the two lightsabers clashed.

* * *

Sekata was having a hell of a time both grasping the huge sword and trying to avoid the second, smaller sword being swung at him.

"Argh!" He was swinging his body weight from left to right and finally pulled the larger sword down so Knightmon accidentally shattered it with his smaller sword. The force of the motion sent the knight stumbling, losing both his weapons in the process.

Sekata grabbed the unbroken sword and pointed it at his opponent.

"GGGaarrgghh! All right, that's' it!" Knightmon raged.

He pulled out and activated what looked very similar to a green lightsaber.

"Oh, give me a break... " Sekata muttered. He attempted to parry his opponent's attack, but the lightsaber easily sliced his weapon into pieces.

Sekata ducked a swing, jumped to the left and jumped backwards. The last swing grazed his chest, leaving another lengthwise scar. Attempting a counter-attack, he dodged another strike and leapt onto his opponent's face, repeatedly striking his face. The larger Digimon simply pulled him off and literally drove his head through the wall.

The dragon realized that his head was firmly wedged into the wall. Desperately, he braced his feet against the wall and pulled in a futile attempt to free himself as Knightmon delightedly walked over.

"Ah, a dragon's head would make a fine trophy." Knightmon laughed, raising his weapon. "I'll just have to get it out of the wall first ... "

"No! NO!" Sekata screamed in horror.

Suddenly, he felt the Digivice strapped to his right hand vibrating. Sekata grasped it more tightly as it begun glowing, causing Knightmon to jump back in surprise.

"EVOLUTION!" The Strikedramon cried as the bright light emitted from the Digivice engulfed his body. Black lightning struck his body, adding on pieces of black armor, changing it to a more familiar form. "CYBERDRAMON!"

"What the!? AARRGGGHH!" Knightmon cried as a blue burst of energy struck him in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

"Now, try taking on someone your on own level." Sekata taunted, glad to be back in his 'original' body.

"I'll get you yet! Take this!" Knightmon yelled, charging.

"Card Slash! Alias!" Sekata rolled around his opponent as a duplicate of himself appeared.

Knightmon attacked the one in front of him, the clone, which vanished as he brought the sword down. Leaving his back open to the real Cyberdramon behind him.

"Erase Claw!"

"AARGGHH!" Knightmon blew up, exploding into a stream of data bits.

Sekata triumphantly caught his lightsaber before it fell.

"Huh? My Digivice?" Sekata held it up as it begun to glow. In particular, the card slot had a light within it. It seemed to be indicating something with the data cloud, which had not yet dispersed.

"This spirit in damnation…my dragon soul redeems! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

In a bluish light, the data formed into a steady stream which was drawn towards his Digivice. Sekata looked down at the image of Knightmon on the screen.

"Perhaps in your afterlife, you'll be different." Sekata spoke aloud as the light in the room died down.

He then heard another scream from the next room.

"Magnamon!" He gasped, running.

He barged into the room to see Magnamon on the floor, grasping her right leg in pain, and Myotismon about to skewer her with a dual-bladed lightsaber.

"Yargh!" Sekata flew forward, just in time to deflect the blow and kick Myotismon away.

"Humph." The vampire grunted. "Another fool dares to oppose me."

"Sekata, catch!" Magnamon tossed him her golden lightsaber.

"This is getting to be a scene straight out of Star Wars." Sekata muttered, catching it in his other hand.

The Cyberdramon showed off his sword control by twirling the lightsabers in front of him, then alternately at his sides.

"Impressive. But let's see how you do in a battle instead."

Sekata growled, facing his opponent. Both tensed to strike.


	6. Digimetal Up! Brothers at Heart!

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Digimetal** **Up! Brothers at Heart! **

By nightdragon0

"Jan?" Zoe gasped, staring up at the MegaloGrowmon (aka Wargrowlmon).

"Get down!" The Cyborg dinosaur roared, the chest mounted cannons glowing a bright white.

"Yikes!" Zoe hit the floor as Jan blew the remaining zombies in the area to bits. "Whew, that was close!"

"Yeah, no kidding." Jan agreed. "But there is a problem…"

"What?"

"GET ME OUTTA THIS THING!" The human turned Digimon blurted out in a voice that probably carried all the way over the mountains.

"Whoa, calm down Jan." Zoe said, waving her claws. "There has to be some way to do it with your Digivice…"

Jan shifted a foot, and…CRUNCH!

"Oh no!" She moaned.

"Hold still…and move your foot a little." Zoe reached down and brought up Jan's Digivice from where'd it had fallen off her arm when she'd evolved.

The Digivice was still in one piece, but it was twisted at an angle and had a crack across the screen.

"Don't tell me it's busted!" Jan gawked, staring down.

"Erm…I won't tell you then." Zoe replied meekly. "But I think the Evolution Program is frozen."

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Zoe had to kneel down and cover her ears.

"Sorry." Janet muttered.

"I'm OK." Zoe replied. "Try not to worry, we'll think of some…"

A roar of pain interrupted her in mid sentence. Zoe scanned the area until she remembered the mausoleum the others had gone down. Only then did she recognize the voice.

"Sekata!"

* * *

"RRaarrggh!"

Lights flashed as the energy blades clashed. Sekata crossed his blades in front of his body, deflecting a strike from Myotismon's double blades weapon. Sekata shoved with all his might, throwing the vampire lord back.

"Your courage is admirable boy, but face the fact: you're no match for me." Myotismon taunted.

"We'll just have to find out!" Sekata faked an attack by making a slight motion, and then somersaulted over his opponent.

Myotismon whirled around and was caught in guarding against a frenzy of strikes and slashes. In the midst of that, Sekata got a little careless and let one of his lightsabers slip slightly. And his opponent took advantage of that with a swift counter attack.

The Cyberdramon cried out in pain as his right wrist was cut by the sword blow. Sekata fell backwards, losing both his Digivice, strapped to the affected wrist, and the weapon he held in his hand. The wound was deep, rendering his hand nearly immobile.

"Let's see how you fight with one hand!" Myotismon yelled, lunging for the fallen warrior.

With one saber still in the grasp on his left hand, Sekata rolled to the side, sprang up and slashed. Myotismon was caught aback by the sudden recovery and only had time to block with the center of his dual sided weapon. Sekata unintentionally cut through its power core, resulting in a small explosion which threw both combatants back, losing their respective weapons in the process.

"Just as well that I'm a left hander!" Sekata grinned, climbing to his feet.

"Grrr! Damn you! That was an antique you just destroyed!" Myotismon fumed.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's ancient around here." Sekata muttered. "Erase Claw!"

"Grizzly Wing!" The vampire dodged and set forth a swarm of bats.

"Dammit!" Sekata cursed as he desperately swatted around.

"X-laser!"

BOOM!

"Urgh!" Zoe's attack sent Myotismon to the ground, at the same time distracting him so the bats dissipated.

"Glad you could make it!" Sekata called.

"Let's take him!" Zoe agreed.

"Hmmm…it seems I must take my leave now." Myotismon muttered. He hovered over and snatched up Sekata's dropped Digivice.

"Hey! That's mine!" Sekata roared charging.

"Crimson Lightning!" The vampire lashed out with a pair of red energy whips, slamming Sekata into a wall. He moaned and slipped to the floor, leaving a dragon-shaped impression in the stone wall.

"Sekata!" Zoe ran to her friend's side as Myotismon made his escape through a hidden passageway behind a bookshelf.

"Ow…did you get the number of that truck?" Sekata moaned before collapsing into her arms.

"He should be fine. I think what got hurt most was his pride." Magnamon had managed to pull herself up and was leaning against a wall for support. "But Myotismon got away…"

* * *

"Everybody all right?" Sagittarimon was asking.

"Yeah fine." Gargoylemon replied. "But what about…?"

The three Armor Digimon and Janet turned to see Zoe helping both Sekata and Magnamon out of the entrance to the mausoleum.

"Well, you kids look like a mess." Sagittarimon commented. "Did you get him?"

"No, more like he got us." Magnamon sighed.

Yasyamon folded his arms and shook his head.

"We regroup back at base, get some R & R, and then decided a course of action." Magnamon decided, assuming her role as commander.

"There's a problem with that through." Zoe jerked a thumb towards the towering MegaloGrowmon.

"I think she'll hit her head if she tries to walk in the front door." Gargoylemon muttered.

"Thanks for being so sympathetic." Jan replied sarcastically.

"Hey guys!" Gold V-dramon came running onto the scene, carrying Depthmon on her back. "Sorry I'm late, but I've got something important to discuss with you."

"Can't it wait till we get back?" Magnamon asked.

"No, I think I have to tell you about it now, right here. Cause…erm…it involves Raindramon and your friend Steve…"

* * *

Taking his fury out on the punching bag was helping slightly, but not by much. It wouldn't help his current situation, and he'd have to face the truth sooner or later.

Steve had put most of his Flamedramon armor back on, except for the mask and the gauntlets. His own healing system, enhanced by the medical herbs, had brought his strength back pretty fast. His left arm still hurt from the injury, but Steve simply didn't feel it.

He was so preoccupied with his punches that he didn't hear the figure stepping up next to him.

"Steve?" It was Gold V-dramon.

"Hey." Steve replied glumly. "How did it go?"

"Not very good I heard." The female replied. "Got a few injuries here and there, but nothing too serious. I need to ask you too if I could borrow your Digivice for a while. Janet's was damaged, and we want to compare Zoe's and yours to try and repair it."

"Here." Steve tossed it in the direction of her voice.

"Whoa! I'm not good at catching!" Gold gasped. "You…you mad at me because I didn't tell you about…"

"No, it's nothing to do with you." Steve shook his head. "It's frustrating! That's all! Rargh!"

With a final whack, he broke the punching bag in two.

"Its cause Gargoylemon said this might help you. Here, hold still."

Steve felt her pushing something over his face. Some sort of visor that covered just his eyes.

"How's this supposed to help me?"

"Just look through it and tell me if you see anything."

"See pah, that's a…Hey! I do see something!"

Out of the darkness, a shape had suddenly formed in his field of vision. Slowly, it became clearer as Gold adjusted a knob at the side. At its best, Steve could make out Gold standing in front of him, though everything was in black and white.

"I'm not sure how it works. Gargoylemon's always the one playing around with these gadgets, but I think it's better than nothing."

"Makes a lot of difference." Steve lifted his three fingered claw, getting a first glimpse of his hand without the gauntlets on. "Thanks Gold, really!"

He gave Gold V-dramon a kiss at the side of her face, causing the golden dinosaur to turn bright red.

"Erm…yeah, no problem." She blushed, silently glad Steve couldn't see her color change. "Well, I'd better get going. The others will want to have a look at this."

Steve could, however, see her expression and smiled as she hurried out the door.

"Aw, isn't that sweet, Steve."

"Janet? When did you get in here?"

"I'm not. I'm standing outside the window."

"This window…yikes!" Steve started as the MegaloGrowmon lifted her head into the window's view. "Cool! You've hit Ultimate!"

"Cool?!" Jan roared. "I'm stuck in this 7-story, mechanical dinosaur's body and you call that cool?! I can barely hold anything with these claws I've got for hands!"

"Hey, you could be the next Godzilla!"

"Grrrrr! Why couldn't you have gone mute instead of blind?!" She muttered, trying to calm her nerves. "But put your jokes aside and get down here. I've got something to discuss with you…about your 'brother'."

Steve glared down, realizing she was in a very serious mood.

"All right. I'll meet you in the garden at the rear of the castle."

* * *

Unbeknown to Gold V-dramon, the Digivice she held in her hand actually had several words flickering across its screen.

'Scan Complete.' Was the message she never saw.

What she was looking at was Yasyamon leaning against the corridor wall with his arms folded. The samurai stepped in front of her and made a gesture towards the Digivice.

"Oh? You want to have a look?"

Yasyamon took it by its reverse side, therefore not noticing the screen flickering briefly, just as it had before. As silently as before, he shoved it back into Gold's claws and walked off.

"Hey! A 'thank you' once in a while would be nice!"

Yasyamon simply waved his hand behind him as he disappeared round the bend.

"Never changes, does he?" Depthmon peered out of a nearby door. "Anyway, got the Digivice?"

"Here, give it to Gargoylemon." Gold V-dramon nodded, tossing it to her friend. "In the meantime, I'm going to check on Raindramon. Got to make sure he's all right…until I work myself out of this mess Steve got us into."

"Will do." Depthmon replied, not noticing either the Digivice had flickered as he'd caught it. "Hey guys!"

He was currently standing at the edge of a workshop. Balancing on his dolphin-like tail was probably a better term. Gargoylemon, Magnamon and Sagittarimon were all gathered around a table, examining Zoe's Digivice and Janet's damaged one.

"Oh good." Gargoylemon said. "Stag, you mind taking its readout with the machine over there?"

The gargoyle pointed to a contraption that looked very similar to a flat-bed scanner.

Sagittarimon brought the Digivice over, pushed several buttons and frowned as the machine refused to start.

"Gargh! How do you work this thing?!" He yelled, banging on it with his fist.

"NO! Don't do that!" Gargoylemon flew over and shoved Sagittarimon away, snatching up the Digivice at the same time. "Don't you know how to treat electronic equipment properly?! Especially delicate and expensive ones!"

"Bah, you young Digimon are so caught up in all this. A good bow and arrows never failed me in my time."

"That's cause you're an outdated, dumb old fart." Gargoylemon cursed under his breath.

"What did you call me?! Don't think I didn't hear that!"

"Stand down, both of you!" Magnamon shouted angrily, shoving her way between the two and grabbing the Digivice. "This isn't the time to be arguing!"

"Yeah…erm, sorry."

"I apologize."

"Forget about it." Magnamon placed the Digivice back down on the table. "We've still got some repair work to do. And Myotismon is still to be dealt with."

Of course, there was a lot of physical contact between the three knights and the Digivice.

* * *

Sekata groaned, slowly pulling himself back to consciousness. He realized he was lying down and felt something soft beneath his back.

"You're back in the castle Sekata." Zoe spoke, standing over him.

"Urrgh…Zoe? What happened?"

"You passed out on the way back. Looks like you took a harder hit than we thought."

Sekata nodded, too tired to reply.

"By the way, it is kind of nice seeing your eyes for a change." The XV-mon smiled. "Well, they're not really yours in a way, but you get the idea."

"Seeing my eyes?" Sekata wondered, lifting his hand. He gasped upon finding it was a purple, three fingered claw.

_Wait a sec! This means I… _

"Yeah, you kind of de-evolved again. Here, take a look."

Before he could protest, Zoe shoved a full length mirror in front of his. Instantly forgetting his previous exhaustion, Sekata sprang up on the bed and stared, eyes wide with shock, at his Monodramon reflection.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRHHHHH!!"

Sekata screamed so loudly that all the Digimetal Knights, Gold V-dramon and Raindramon included, came barging into the room at full speed.

"What's wrong?!" Magnamon asked. "Are you two all right?"

Sekata was now gawking, mouth opened, and pointing a finger at his reflection.

"I…LOOK…C…C…C…C…CUTE!"

(Everyone faints.)

"YOU MORON! Why'd you have to scare us over something trivial like that??" Zoe roared furiously, promptly strangling the Monodramon.

(Everyone sweatdrops.)

* * *

"Are all 'humans' this weird?" Magnamon sighed, as the knights returned to the workshop, leaving Sekata and Zoe to scream at each other in the other room.

"I think they're like that because, well, they like each other." Gargoylemon laughed. "That was kind of like you and Fla…"

Sagittarimon stomped on his tail, cutting him off just in time. Raindramon was right next to them, and talking about his brother would be a rather delicate matter, made worse by the current situation.

"Gurgh…nothing!" The Gargoyle finished, his face contorting as he tried to contain his scream.

Yasyamon stepped in front, hiding Gargoylemon from Raindramon's sight, and clamping a hand to keep the armored Digimon's mouth shut.

"Anyway, I believe the blue Digivice will be enough for us to work with. We can return the other one to…"

"To bro?" Raindramon asked. "Sure, I'll do it!"

Taking the Digivice in his mouth, the young knight enthusiastically dashed down the corridor. Depthmon peered out of the room and gave the 'all clear' signal once Raindramon was gone.

"AAARRGGHH! MY TAIL!!" Gargoylemon started screaming and jumping around the moment Yasyamon let him go.

* * *

"What was that you wanted to talk to me about Jan?"

"I'm sure you know." Jan growled, taking as best a sitting position as she could in her current form. "That's a really wonderful stunt you've pulled."

"I did it with the best intentions." Steve insisted.

"Best?! Do you realize how cheated Raindramon's going to feel once he finds out?"

"That's a down point, I admit, but right now, he's already as hurt as he is." Steve turned and looked towards the sky. "He's lost someone close to him, and people do need support in times like those."

"He also has to accept the truth sometime."

"He will…I'll bring it up to him at the appropriate time."

"And how long will that be?! Months? Years? You willing to stay here that long?!"

"As long as it takes Jan." Steve growled. "It will take time…but he'll get over it."

"How would you know Steve?! How could you possibly barge in and know what Raindramon's feeling?!" Jan yelled angrily.

"You want to know why Jan?! My brother died too! I know EXACTLY how he feels!" Steve blurted out.

Jan gasped in shock. That was something she had never heard about the always easy-going and energetic Steve. The afore mentioned Flamedramon was facing away, clenching his fists.

"My brother was a New York City police officer. He was killed in the line of duty. I very young back then. For a long time, I simply couldn't accept the fact. I'd wake up at night thinking he was still here, calling my name."

"But…you told us you were an only child." Janet muttered.

"That was when my family moved to a new city, and…I shoved the memories out of my mind." Steve turned back towards Jan. "It's a terrible feeling. One I don't wish for anyone else to have to go through. And when I heard about Raindramon…it just stirred up those memories."

A long growl caused both to turn towards the doorway. Steve barely held up his claws in time as a black shape slammed him onto his back. Pain shot into his mind as his newly recovered left shoulder hit the ground.

"I don't believe you! How could you lie to me like that?!"

"Raindramon?!" Steve gasped, staring up at the armored Digimon poised on top on his chest. "I…I…"

"I don't want an explanation from you!!" Raindramon roared, the blue lightning charging up at his horns.

"Raindramon! Stop please!" Jan yelled, approaching.

Raindramon turned his lighting elemental attack on her instead. Being too startled to block, Jan took its full blow and fell to one knee.

"I HATE YOU! DAMMIT! I HATE YOU ALL!!" Raindramon leapt off Steve, scaled the garden's wall in one bound and sprinted off.

"Raindramon wait!" Steve cried, noticing his Digivice had been left lying on the ground. "Oh god! He must've been behind the door the whole time!"

"We've got to go after him!" Janet decided.

As Steve nodded, the tracking feature on his Digivice activated, with an arrow pointing in the direction Raindramon had run off in.

* * *

"Damn, how fast can he run?" Steve panted.

Running across the open field had been fine, but Raindramon had led them into a more forested area. Janet was having a hard time because she was so insistent on not causing unnecessary damage to the forest.

"Magnamon told something about this forest." Jan said. "Something about it being forbidden."

"Forget it. There he is!"

Raindramon had stopped, panting, in front of an impassable twisted mass of trees. He turned back and growled as the pair approached.

All of a sudden, the trees behind Raindramon moved, opening a hole through. Vines whipped out and wrapped themselves around the young knight, screaming in panic.

"Raindramon!" Steve dashed forward. "Knuckle Fire!"

Another set of vines came forward, swatting out Steve's flames. Meanwhile, Raindramon was dragged back, screaming, into the darkness of the forest. The vines continued to lash at Steve and Jan until that was done, then they retreated, sealing off the pathway once again.

"NO!" Steve cried desperately, hacking away at the vines and trees.

Jan joined his assault, however, no matter how many they cut through, more simply grew back in their place. Both eventually stopped, panting with exhaustion.

"DAMN! DAMN!!" Steve pounded the floor in frustration. "This is no use!"

"What…do you mean?" Jan panted. "Come on, we've got to keep trying!"

"Raindramon…he…would he ever forgive me? Would he even want to be rescued by me?! Dammit! Why am I even doing this?!" Steve threw his Digivice against a nearby tree.

Jan swung one of her arms, whacking Steve with the non-bladed side. The Flamedramon stumbled, losing the visor which allowed him to see. Steve was plunged back into darkness, but he couldn't have cared less at that instant.

"Fine! Blame me then! I screw up EVERYTHING! I'm a walking mistake! There, I've admitted it! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW??" He screamed, tears coming to his eyes.

"I'm not mad at you for making mistakes Steve." Jan replied, looking down. "What I am mad at you for is giving up."

Steve rubbed his eyes and turned towards the source of her voice.

"There are people who care about you." Jan continued. "I care about you. Here."

Delicately gripping Steve's visor in her claws, she handed it back to him.

"Jan…thanks." He sniffed, putting the visor on. "You may be stuck up there in that MegaloGrowmon's body…but it's still you underneath. I guess I have to stop pretending too."

Then, a bright pillar of light shot out of Steve's Digivice.

"What the?!" Steve picked it up and pointed it at the blocked up pathway.

The light seemed to 'hurt' the curled up trees, and they unwound slightly, opening a small path.

"I'll never fit through that." Jan muttered.

"But I can. You go back to the others and get some help." Steve decided. "I have to deal with my own mess."

"Be careful."

Steve nodded, then took a running start and leapt though.

_Hang on kid! I'm coming! _

* * *

The forest beyond that was even more dark and gloomy, but his Digivice provided some light. Steve's mind raced as he surveyed the area, trying to decide what to do.

"Urgh!" That was when he was abruptly slammed to the ground.

"You're very brave to come charging in here by yourself." A voice laughed. A Blossomon stepped out of the shadows. "Brave, but stupid nevertheless."

"Where's Raindramon?!" Steve demanded.

"I'm afraid your friend's a little tied up at the moment." The plant Digimon laughed, gesturing towards the unconscious form bound by vines to a tree.

"Raindramon!"

"I'd be more concerned about myself if I were you! Spiral Flower!"

"Knuckle Fire!" Steve dodged to the side and let off several fire balls. The two projectile attacks connect and canceled each other out.

"Thorn Whips!"

Steve held up his arms to ward off the barrage of vines. Unfortunately, one blow managed to knock his visor off.

"NO!" He cried, desperately groping around for it. "SHIT! Where is it?!"

Blossomon swatted him aside.

"So our brave little boy is blind, is he? Well, this should be a walkover. Spiral Flower!"

"RRRAAGGHHH!" Steve took blow after blow until he was down on his knees.

"What you can't see with your eyes, you see with your heart." Raindramon's voice was barely audible. "Bro…I'm sorry…about just now."

"I'm sorry too." Steve said softly. Whether to himself or to Raindramon he wasn't sure. But what did happen was the bright light shinning out of his Digivice, causing Blossomon to hesitate.

"Huh? This power…" Steve wondered. "The knights? It's the Digimetal's power! Did my Digivice duplicate their data somehow?"

Steve brought his Digivice up and placed it at his heart.

"DIGIMETAL UP!"

In his mind, Steve saw himself standing within a circle. Surrounding it were the Digimetals of Friendship, Light, Hope, Faith (Reliability), Purity (Sincerity), Miracles and Fate. At his feet lay the Digimetal of Courage.

_I get it! _

Choosing one, Steve made a sprinting motion towards it.

(His body glows brightly and the Flamedramon armor 'breaks' off, leaving a humanoid dragon shape. This shape touches the Digimetal of Hope and immediately morphs, changing to Sagittarimon's form. The new armor clads his body, first the body, then gauntlets and finally the mask. Steve whipped the bow up in front of him and struck a pose with it.)

The crest on Hope engraved on his belt shone brightly.

"Hope's ray of judgment… Sagittarimon!"

"What the?!"

"Judgment Arrow!" Steve let an arrow fly, exploding in a burst equal to a flashbang, lighting up the entire area.

"AArrgghhh!" Blossomon flew backwards.

"Not such a walkover now, am I?" Steve laughed, silently admiring his new form at the same time.

"You haven't won yet! Thorn Whips!"

Blossomon shot out a bunch of vines, entangling Steve.

_Sagittarimon isn't much on the maneuverability side, but… _

"DIGIMETAL UP!" Steve glowed as he changed again. This time into Yasyamon. "Take that! Gordian Knot!"

With one swing on his swords, Steve twirled around and cut himself free. He then tossed both swords at Blossomon, distracting her. She fired a randomly aimed Spiral Flower, which only succeeded in hitting an empty patch of ground.

"Huh?!"

"Up here b#tch!" Steve roared. He was in the air, having evolved into Gargoylemon. "White Statue!"

Throwing off a ball of white energy from his claw, he temporarily paralyzed Blossomon. With a roar, Steve dive bombed the vegetation Digimon and launched into a fury of slashes, punches and kicks. Even as Blossomon collapsed, Steve somersaulted over her and switched his armor one last time.

"DIGIMETAL UP! Friendship's storm…Raindramon!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve noticed Raindramon's utterly startled expression at staring at a carbon copy of himself. Steve grinned…he'd chosen this form for a reason.

"This one's for you, bro! Thunder Blast!"

Blossomon screamed long and loud as Steve shocked her into submission.

"My defeat will mean nothing! You will never stop master Myotismon's plans…" She screeched, before breaking up into a cloud of data bits.

Steve switched back into his default Flamedramon body and brought up his Digivice.

"This devil's spirit…my burning flames will purify! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

As Sekata had done before, the data was drawn to the Digivice. Steve glanced down at the image of Blossomon on the screen.

"Hey, wait a minute! I CAN SEE!" Steve suddenly blinked, staring down at his claws.

"You must've gotten a bit of data from all of us." Raindramon suggested. "All the knights were handling that device of yours earlier on."

"Damn, it's smart. It duplicated their data." Steve realized. The previous ache in his injured shoulder was now completely gone. "And that data must've healed me somehow."

"Bro, you were so cool just now!" Raindramon commented as Steve cut him loose.

"You still…want to call me that?" Steve asked. "Say, I'm sorry about the whole thing. I…"

"No, you don't need to apologize. It should be me doing that." Raindramon shook his head. "You've made me realize I have to accept the truth. My brother's gone…but I'll always have his memories."

"Raindramon…" Steve knelt down to face him. "You've made me realize too. The memories…are what count."

"Besides, we can always be brothers at heart." The young knight grinned.

"Brothers at heart…yeah…" Steve smiled, giving Raindramon a hug.

Inside, Steve felt that Raindramon's brother, Flamedramon, would be proud. And Steve knew too, that his own brother would feel the same way.

"Come on, we'd better get back to the others."


	7. Terrifying Fires! Vritramon’s Curse!

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Terrifying Fires! Vritramon's Curse! **

By nightdragon0

"You?! Armor Evolving?" Janet gasped.

"Yep. It was really cool too!" Steve bragged.

"Man, you should've seen him, he was awesome!" Raindramon added in.

"What's with all the fuss?" Zoe came jogging into the garden, carrying a Monodramon on her shoulder.

"It's all about me. That…huh?" Steve stared. "That wouldn't happen to be Sekata on your shoulder, would it?"

"Please don't ask." Sekata moaned. "It's horrible! I'm pretty much stuck like this until I can get my Digivice back!"

"What's wrong? You do look kind of cute." Steve laughed.

"That's what's so horrible!"

"Hahaha. Anyway, I've got some neat sets of armor to play around with." Steve lifted his Digivice and pushed a button, causing the screen to scroll through images of the various Digimetals. "Just think, some day I could become any armor Digimon I choose!"

"Any armor Digimon…" Zoe muttered.

With Sekata, she flew up to Jan's ear and the three huddled there, whispering.

"Just think…"

(A thought bubble appears above the three, showing an imaginary Steve/Flamedramon armor evolving into Submarimon…on dry land. "Help! Help! I can't move!" Squeaks the imaginary Submarimon as he flops around like a stranded fish out of water.)

Sekata, Jan and Zoe burst out laughing. So much that Jan fell over, causing quite an impact with her MegaloGrowmon body.

"Hey! What's so funny?!" A clueless Steve asked.

"That's for us to know and you to find out." Zoe giggled as the three begun to separate and walk off in different directions.

"Hey! Hey! Get back here!" Steve yelled after them. "Hey! I'm supposed to show off now! Hey! Come back!"

* * *

"Humph, Gargoylemon thinks he's the only technical expert around here." Depthmon muttered. The aquatic Digimon was positioned at the work bench where Jan's Digivice was being repaired.

"Leave it to me, I'm a trained professional! He says." Depthmon twisted a wire and replaced the casing. "Give me a break. I can do this too. There!"

Depthmon pushed the nearest button on the Digivice.

BOOM!

"Yargh!"

Sparks flew as the casing came off, together with a burnt smell and some black some. Startled, Depthmon fell back against the floor.

Groaning, he pulled himself up and stared at the mess on the table.

"Oh shit…I am going to get downloaded alive…"

* * *

**Later, back in the garden…**

"So you see…erm…there were a few…technical faults." Depthmon explained nervously.

"And I'm STILL stuck like this?!" Janet roared. "Jeez! I'm going to go crazy if I have to stay in this body any longer!"

"You already are crazy." Steve muttered.

"Steve, shut up! Don't think I can't hear you just because I'm 7-stories tall."

"Well, I need to head down to town to pick up some supplies to continue working on your Digivice." Gargoylemon shot a glance to his colleague. "Because **someone** so wonderfully blew up my last micro-electronical processing unit."

"Which is something we're going to have a talk about after this." Magnamon gave Depthmon a stern look.

Depthmon gulped, knowing it wasn't going to be anything good.

"On the other hand, the town Gargoylemon will be going to might interest you Sekata." Magnamon continued. "Renoir Town is also a famous place for Digital Card Battles."

"Card Battles?" Sekata asked. "You mean Digimon Cards? You guys have them here too?"

"You sound surprised."

"Yeah, Digimon playing Digimon cards…that's something I didn't think of." Sekata whistled. "We may even be able to get some additional cards for back-up."

"Its one of the major competitive 'sports' around here." Gold V-dramon added in. "Winning is pretty tough."

"Hey, you're looking at one of Japan's top players here! I can take home on, I can take the Digital World too!"

"The way you look now," Steve petted the Monodramon's head. "you could probably woo them to death with your cuteness….AARRRGGHHH!!"

That was because Sekata kicked him in the shin.

"I may be a Rookie now, but I'm deadly."

"Aw, whatever." Steve muttered. "You go knock yourself out. I'm gonna stick around here and shoot some arrows about. Digimetal up!"

Steve evolved into Sagittarimon and took about 7 running steps before he tripped over his own feet and fell.

"Ow…hey, that didn't happen before!"

"I don't think you're very skilled at using those armored forms." The actual Sagittarimon muttered, slapping his head. "Which unfortunately is also resulting in you making me look bad."

"That's about the smartest thing anyone's ever done." Gargoylemon whispered to the others.

"I'll get better, just watch!" Steve insisted, bringing an arrow up to his bow.

"NO! Don't hold the drawstring like that…"

"Oops!"

Steve accidentally released the arrow, which went flying into the castle's wall. A loud bang resulted, accompanied by the falling of several bricks.

"That's it! I'm going to give you some **personal** training kid!" Sagittarimon declared.

"Erm…I think the card games sound nicer Sekata…urk!" Steve choked as Sagittarimon grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him away.

"Yasyamon, some assistance please."

The silent warrior joined in and the two dragged Steve around the corner.

"NNNNNOOOOOO!! GUYS! Help me! Say something! DO something! Don't leave me with them!!"

"Have a nice time boys!" Zoe giggled. She then turned to Janet. "You coming?"

"No way! I am NOT leaving this castle looking like this!" Jan protested, jabbing her mechanical claws at herself.

"All right." Gargoylemon nodded. "I'll fly and you just follow me."

"Zoe…erm…I'm going to need a lift." Sekata muttered sheepishly.

"It's no problem." The XV-mon smiled, lowering herself to one knee. "I think I actually like it."

"Don't get used to it." Sekata growled, hopping on.

"WHAT?!" Steve's voice came from around the corner.

"Is that the way you talk to your commanding officer?!" Sagittarimon remarked. "The first and last word out of your mouth will be SIR! Understood?"

"Sir…yes sir."

"What do you think this is? A sissy school?! Put some voice into it!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"That's good…NOW DROP AND GIVE ME 20!"

"Sir, yes sir…sir, how does a centaur do push-ups, sir?"

"OH, you want to know, do you?"

"I so know how that feels." Gargoylemon said to Sekata and Zoe.

* * *

"Wow, these are what towns in the Digital World are like?" Zoe asked, looking down at the bustling streets beneath.

"Must be a pretty new experience to you two." Gargoylemon commented.

"Well, it's like this back home, but not with streets full of Digimon of every shape and size." Sekata replied.

"Anyway, we land here Zoe."

Gargoylemon and Zoe descended and landed on an open spot that looked like it had been left for the benefit of flying Digimon.

"Well, I'm going to get the stuff from my usual mechanic." Gargoylemon told them. "Feel free to wander around town, but don't cause any trouble. I'll meet you guys back here in the evening."

"Will do." Sekata nodded.

"See you later!" Gargoylemon called as he departed.

"So, where to?" Zoe asked.

* * *

**That evening… **

"Come back again!" The pair of Biyomon waved.

"You bet I will!" Sekata waved, happily juggling the bunch of card packs he'd won throughout the day.

It had gone really well for Sekata and he hadn't lost a single game all day. Dotted around the area were 'duel houses', where players could randomly meet up and play. Several of those houses organized mini- tournaments, open to anyone quick enough to sign up. Prizes had ranged from cash to prize packs, hence the bunch that Sekata now carried.

"If only Zoe was around to see the looks on their faces." He laughed.

In particular he remembered that Gatomon who'd fallen off the table in disbelief.

"Speaking of Zoe, where is she anyway?" Sekata muttered, glancing around the streets, which were rapidly clearing out.

"Wow, did you see that?" A voice gasped.

"She's amazing!" Another piped in.

There was a large crowd gathered ahead and Sekata dashed up to it.

"Excuse me, what's going on?"

"That girl is amazing mate!" A Digmon answered. "She just beat the 'curry rice eating record'!"

"The what?"

Digmon pointed to a sign, which read 'Fantastic Prize will be awarded to any participant able to eat the most bowls of curry rice in one hour!'.

"Here, climb onto my back mate." Digmon offered.

"Thanks!" Sekata scrambled up, only to see none other than Zoe at the table.

"Gguurrgghh…I got beaten…by a girl!" A Greymon moaned, before collapsing.

The crowd roared as Zoe raised her arms in triumph.

"Wow…" Sekata whistled. "Wonder what prize could've spurred her on to do that?"

The cheering was interrupted by the piercing sound of whistle being blown. A Wizardmon was running down the street.

"Vritramon's here! He's been sighted at the outskirts of town, to the North!"

"Who?" Sekata tried to ask. "Yargh! Whoa!"

The Monodramon was tossed away as the crowd broke out in panic.

"Run for your lives!"

"Let's get out of here!"

"Everybody get indoors!"

"Hey! Who's got my staff?! Who took my staff?!" Yelled Wizardmon.

Sekata rolled into a corner and crouched down until the crowd had disappeared, leaving only an empty street lines by rows of shops that had their doors barred and bolted shut.

"What was that all about?" Zoe muttered, leaping down from the roof of a building. She'd flown up there in the chaos. "Sekata?"

"I'm fine." He nodded, pulling himself up.

"This is just perfect! Now I'm never gonna get that prize!"

"Did you hear what they were saying?" Sekata asked. "Something about Vritramon?"

"Yeah, I think it was at the North side." Zoe replied. "Man, the town's people were pretty freaked."

"I think we should check it out."

"Right!" The XV-mon nodded.

* * *

"Is this the place?" Zoe wondered. "I don't see anything."

The path leading out of the North end of town had brought them through a short, but thick forest. The dirt path now led along the top of a granite hill. It was a dark and slightly foggy area.

It hadn't been much for the pair's motivation that the streets had been completely deserted as they'd run through.

"Be on guard." Sekata warned. "There's no telling when…"

"LOOK OUT!"

BOOM!

An explosion sent the pair flying and rolling roughly down the hill.

Sekata's ears were still ringing as he hit the ground.

"Urgh…Zoe?"

"I'm OK." She called, shaking her head to clear it. "But what the heck was that?!"

Almost as if to answer that question, another figure leapt down, landing in front of them with a terrifying roar.

It was a large dragon, taller and more muscular than Zoe. The dragon had a humanoid form and stood on 2 legs. It had three fingers on both his legs and its hands. It was completely covered in red armor with a Wargreymon style three-horned helmet.

The dragon roared again, spreading its fiery wings and showing off the blasters attached to each of its forearms.

"I'll bet this is the Vritramon they were talking about." Zoe muttered.

"Watch out Zoe!"

Vritramon brought the blasters up and fired. Zoe dove to the side, grabbing Sekata and pulling him along as well. The two gasped at the blackened spot they'd left behind.

"This is a bad time to be without my Digivice!" Sekata cried. "I can't even evolve like this!"

"Just leave him to me." Zoe said firmly. "You go take cover."

"But…"

"Sekata, trust me. I've got this one covered." Zoe insisted, getting out a card. "Card Slash! Training Grips!"

Gripping her blue Digivice in her left claw, Zoe slid the card through. In a flash of light, the training grips appeared in her right claw. It was basically a set of two metal cuffs linked together by multiple chains.

"Come and get me!" She taunted.

Vritramon charged, claws outstretched. Zoe leapt away at the last moment, tossing the training grips. Vritramon got himself entangled and stumbled over.

"X-laser!"

Zoe pelted the armored dragon with a couple of blasts, which barely seemed to hurt the beast. Vritramon sprang up at an amazing speed and roared, ripping the training grips to bits in an enraged burst. The fire dragon charged wildly and attacked. Zoe dodged its first claw swipe, then leapt further away to avoid the second.

That was when she groaned, kneeling and leaning against a tree for support.

"Zoe?!" Sekata called. "What's wrong?"

"Damn…my stomach." Zoe moaned. "I think I had too much of that curry rice just now."

"Just how many bowls DID you eat?!"

"47."

"Nande?! Hontoo ga?!" (What?! Really?!")

"I was hungry!"

"Watch out!"

"Aaarrghh!"

Vritramon smacked Zoe at the side of her head, sending the XV-mon flying into a tree. Zoe groaned and hit the ground, unconscious. Vritramon roared in triumph and edged towards the fallen dragon.

"Hey! Leave her alone you bully!"

Forgetting everything, Sekata grabbed a stone and threw it. The small rock did little more than bounce off Vritramon's armor. However, it did manage to turn his attention towards Sekata.

Sekata brought his claw to his wrist, only to remember his Digivice wasn't there.

"Shimatta!!"

The Monodramon took off running like his life depended on it….which it probably did anyway. It did help a little that he could squeeze through the trees whilst the larger Vritramon had to tear them down first.

In his panic, Sekata accidentally ran into a short cavern, which led him smack into a dead end. Swearing, he turned to back out…only to find Vritramon at the entrance.

The huge dragon growled, seeming to take pleasure in the hunt.

_Between his legs!_ Sekata thought.

Sekata waited until the last moment before making his dash. He did get between the legs, but he hadn't taken the tail into consideration. Sekata only realized the mistake when he suddenly found himself restrained and out of breath.

Vritramon had wrapped him in his tail, and now lifted Sekata up into his claws. The Monodramon struggled in vain as the arm mounted blasters clicked into position.

"NO! No! Please don't kill me!! I'm…I'm just a Rookie! I won't have much data for you to absorb! NNNNOOOOOO!"

Sekata closed his eyes. But after several seconds, his thoughts hadn't come to an end. Cringing, Sekata risked a peek, and much to his surprise, Vritramon seemed to be hesitating.

Not only that, his entire body was trembling, as if he were fighting to stop himself from committing the deed.

The next few moments were an absolute standstill. Then, Vritramon rasped out something Sekata could barely make out.

"Help…me…"

Through confused, Sekata realized the vice-like grip around his body was loosening. He happened to turn up and noticed the huge boulder embedded in the ceiling above them.

_Maybe I do have a chance! _

"Up here!" With a quick motion, Sekata pulled himself free and jumped up, using Vritramon's claw as a springboard.

The red dragon reacted exactly as Sekata hoped: firing his blasters.

Sekata bounced his body off the ceiling and in another direction, mere moments before the shots made contact. The energy bursts blew out the ceiling, sending the boulder, plus tons more rock, down on Vritramon.

The dragon roared in fury as the rocks forced him to the ground. Finally, he lay still, with only his head sticking out from under the huge boulder.

Sekata picked himself up, dizzy with tension.

"I'm…alive…" He gasped. "Huh?"

Something seemed to be glowing on Vritramon's head.

"What's this?" Sekata muttered, reaching a claw out to touch it. It seemed to be some sort of 'figurine', about the size of his fist. "Could this be a…"

Sekata never got to finish the sentence. One moment, he touched the glowing object and felt it was warm like fire. The next, his mind and body were screaming in extreme pain.

* * *

"Hey, you OK? Wake up!"

"Urrmmmm…" Zoe opened her eyes and found herself staring up into a blue face. "Huh?"

"Are you all right?" The blue Digimon asked.

He was an Aero V-dramon, an ultimate level dragon type Digimon. His body was blue and white in color, with a pair of red, leathery wings on his back. Two horns came out of the back of his head, and one more on the tip of his snout. Decorating his chest was a 'V'-like pattern.

"Erm, yeah. Thanks." Zoe allowed Aero V-dramon to help her to her feet.

"So, what were you doing out here, fellow blue dragon? Not safe for a lady to be walking out here all alone."

"Excuse me, do males always think they are the superior sex?!" Zoe said angrily. "I can take care of myself!"

"Sure did a fine job here." Aero V-dramon commented.

"Oh shut up. A little more and I would've gotten Vritramon…oh god! Sekata!"

"Wait! Wh—hey!"

Zoe shoved past Aero V-dramon and frantically glanced around the area.

"Sekata! Where are you?! Sekata!"

"Who are you looking for?" Aero V-dramon asked, jogging up beside her.

"Have you seen Sek—I mean a Monodramon around here?! Anywhere?!" Zoe asked, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down." Aero V-dramon waved his arms. "First let me ask, was that the legendary warrior, Vritramon, which you mentioned. Were you attacked?"

"Well, sort of."

"Then that sure explains the fires." Aero V-dramon pointed.

Zoe realized the area smelt burnt and of smoke. Several Seadramon and SnowAgumon were around the area, spraying their water and ice breaths around to douse several more sections of burning trees.

"But did you find him? Monodramon?" Zoe asked again, a desperate look on her face.

The look on Aero V-dramon's face told Zoe everything even before he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"No…I…I don't believe it!"

"You might want to have a look at this."

Aero V-dramon led her to a cavern at the side of the hill. At least, it had been one until part of the ceiling collapsed.

"This was apparently the battle site. We found another Digimon, a Hyougamon lying here. They've taken him back to town, but he's in a coma right now and we won't be getting anything out of him anytime soon." Aero V-dramon explained, indicating the spots. "See those footprints? The larger ones belong to Vritramon and the smaller ones to your friend."

Zoe nodded.

"Two sets go into the remains of the cave, but only one set comes out. Vritramon's."

"No…Sekata." Zoe muttered.

She immediately broke down, grabbing on to Aero V-dramon as she wept. The larger dragon was a little startled, but he relaxed and let her hold on.

"I'm sorry." He whispered again, stroking the back of her head. "Just let it all out."

"If…if I'd been more careful…then…he…he wouldn't be…" Zoe managed between her tears.

"The Legendary Warriors." Aero V-dramon muttered. "The stories tell that they protected the Digital World a long time ago. Those tales also say they vanished thousands of years ago and have never been seen for generations…until now."

Zoe looked up and Aero V-dramon continued.

"Recently, the dragon known as Vritramon begun to show up. They were isolated reports and rumored sightings at first, nothing that could pass as important and hence implore action to be taken. But then the attacks began. This is the first time he's shown up in this particular region, but now there is enough evidence."

"Enough evidence for?" Zoe queried.

"We've formed a hunting party to seek out and destroy Vritramon before he leaves this region and harms anyone else. And I'd like you to join us."

Zoe stood up, wiping her tears away.

"Count me in."

"I thought you would. Come on, lets head back to town and I'll tell you more."

* * *

_What's going on?! What's happening to me?! _

Sekata's mind was in a daze. He faintly remembered the battle, touching something…then pain all over. Like he'd been burning alive.

His body was aching all over, but whatever it was seemed to have subsided for now. Sekata felt the ground beneath his chest and pushed himself into a kneeling position.

Sekata noted his body felt different. One much larger and stronger. He'd been in three different forms before, but this one was something else.

Lifting his head, he opened his eyes and glanced around.

_Wait a second! Where am I? I definitely wasn't here before! _

He was lying beside a circular lake, surrounded by trees. Sekata then faced down…and stared mouth opened at 'his' own claws.

_No…it…it can't be! _

Sekata looked into the lake, expecting to see his reflection. What he found was Vritramon staring back at him.

With a roar of surprise, he fell backwards.

_I'm…Vritramon!! _

Sekata ran his claws over his body. Sure enough, he was clad in the red armor. He moved his tail and flapped the fiery wings on his back. Even his claws had the blasters mounted on them.

_How? Did I…I touched…the Spirit? _

Sekata thought back to what he knew as just a TV series from his own world.

_Then, does the legend of the 10 warriors exist in this Digital World too? What's next? The D-Reaper?_

That was when he heard voices.

"I think its here!"

"All right men, we've got the beast surrounded!"

Sekata stepped into a combat stance. Several groups of Digimon appeared from the forest surrounding the lake. However, there was one he recognized, through he wasn't exactly sure how.

_Zoe!_ He called. At least that was what he tried to say. What came out was a fierce bark.

_What the?! _Sekata thought. _Can't I even control my own mouth…aarrgghhh! _

Sekata hit the ground hard. Zoe was in a guarding stance, the 'X' mark on her chest still glowing with energy.

Sekata could only stare in shock, seeing how she'd just fired at him.

_Zoe! Zoe! It's me Sekata! _He tried again. Once again, only growls came out.

"Now I've got you, monster." She growled fiercely. "Remember me? YOU killed a friend of mine. And I'm here to avenge him."

"Your reign of destruction ends here!" An Aero V-dramon continued. "You'll terrorize no more innocent Digimon!"

_Avenge her friend?! Oh no…_

The realization hit Sekata like a hammer on the head. Zoe thought he'd been killed. She and the rest of this group were pursuing the killer.

And right now, Sekata had literally been stuffed into that killer's skin.


	8. Sekata’s Identity Crisis

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Sekata's** **Identity Crisis **

By nightdragon0

"Geez, where are those two?" Gargoylemon wondered, circling the area for the fifth time.

It hadn't helped that his mechanic was located on the outskirts of town and that he was running late. Now, he'd returned to find Sekata and Zoe nowhere in sight.

"Speaking of them, where's the townsfolk for that matter? I know it's pretty quite at night, but not as much as this." Gargoylemon shook his head. "Something's wrong...perhaps I should ask around."

Down below, he spotted a building marked 'Traveler's Guild'.

"Those two had better not be doing something stupid and making me worry like this." Gargoylemon said to himself as he knocked on the door. "Damn, I'm starting to sound like Magnamon."

* * *

_Zoe! Zoe! It's me! _

No matter how hard he tried, Sekata couldn't form the words in his mouth. All that was coming out was barks and growls.

And that wasn't doing anything to convince the advancing group of Digimon of his true identity.

"Attack!" Aero V-dramon ordered.

Sekata suddenly found himself pelted by various attacks, including Zoe's X-laser and Aero V-dramon's V-Wing Blade.

Howling in pain, Sekata raised his arms to block.

_Stop it! Please! I'm innocent! _

Even if he could've said it out, he doubted it would've been of much help to him. Sekata resisted all temptation to fight back. He didn't want to hurt these Digimon, and he especially didn't want to hurt Zoe. These Digimon were just doing what they felt was right…and unfortunately, what they saw him as was the monster that had been terrorizing towns and villages.

Suddenly, Sekata found himself very hot. Looking down, he was startled to find flames had erupted from his own body. Even unconsciously, he was preparing to attack.

_NO! NO! _His mind screamed.

However, his body reacted differently.

With a thunderous roar, his body was engulfed by a huge column of flames. This was Vritramon's Flame Storm attack, which sent half of the attacking Digimon fleeing in panic.

Pain filled part Sekata's mind. That was his own at least, the pain of knowing what he was about to do. But the other half of his mind was like a new part of himself. This part was filled with rage and bloodlust. It desired to kill, to destroy.

_NO! Get out of my mind!! NNNOOOOO! _

However, Sekata could do nothing to stop himself. He set a large part of the forest ablaze, sending the remaining Digimon fleeing or burning them badly. Screams rang out in all directions.

Somewhere in the midst of that, he managed to catch Zoe diving into the lake. At least she would be safe for now.

Other than that, everything was a blur.

When those terrifying moments were finally over, Sekata found himself staring at a scene of fiery destruction. Trees and plants were burning everywhere. The dead and wounded bodies of those not so lucky as to escape his wrath lay scattered around.

A new instinct hit his mind. To reap the rewards of his victory. The desire was simply too great to resist and Sekata approached the nearest body.

It broke up into a cloud of data bits, which formed a steady stream flowing into his jaws.

Silently, Sekata was screaming in horror. But he was powerless to stop to instincts of his own body. The thing he desperately wanted to do was close his eyes. But that wouldn't help shut out the screams.

* * *

Zoe lifted her head out of the water, gasping for breath. Glancing around, she saw much of the forest in flames.

There was a sudden snarl and she was abruptly yanked out of the water. Vritramon had his claw around her neck and Zoe found herself too frightened to do anything but stare up into his blood-red eyes.

Vritramon seemed to just stare right back at her. Even while she was being choked, Zoe could still feel his hand vibrating. It was difficult to make out what was on his mind at all.

Then, just as suddenly, he dropped her and ran, spreading his wings and flying off into the night with a long howl.

Zoe just sat there and stared at his disappearing shape, rubbing her sore neck. Vritramon had been in a perfect position to finish her off, but he hadn't.

_But why?_

"Are you all right?" Aero V-dramon asked, walking over. "You really scared me there."

"I know."

"But what did you do to make him run off like that?"

"I didn't do anything." Zoe shook her head. "He just ran by himself."

"Vritramon didn't hesitate in absorbing the data of the others." Aero V-dramon said. "But he actually seemed rather…I dunno…freaked when he looked at you."

"The way he stared…was almost as if he knew me. I don't mean just from the time he saw me, but something deeper than that…"

* * *

Janet yawned, leaning back against the wall. As large as she was in her MegaloGrowmon form, it was hard enough to get into a good sleeping position. All the other metallic add-ons at her back didn't help either.

As she lay back, her tail brushed against a nearby tree, shaking it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Watch it you big dummy!" A voice yelled angrily.

"What? Steve, that you?"

"Yeah." Steve waved from between the branches.

"What are you doing in there?"

"What does it look like?! I'm hiding from Sagittarimon and Yasyamon! Those two are trying to kill me!!"

"Whatever happened to the athletic Steve?"

"There's a difference between being fit and being over worked." Steve replied. "Now, stop talking to me before…"

"Hey guys!" Raindramon was casually jogging around the bend.

Steve gave him a wave and breathed a sigh of relief once the armor Digimon was gone.

"Whew, that was close." He gasped, wiping his forehead.

"Raindramon, have you seen Steve around?" Came Sagittarimon's voice from around the corner.

"Sure! He was hiding up that tree talking to Jan!"

"OH CRAP!" Steve slapped his head. "I've got to get out of here!"

The Flamedramon dropped to the ground and was about to start running when Jan lifted a foot and stomped him to the ground.

"JAN! Let me go!" Steve cried, desperately trying to wiggle out from under the dinosaur's foot.

Janet only snickered and turned her head.

"Hey boys! Your run away's right here!"

"JJJJJJJJJJJJJAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNN!! NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!"

* * *

Sekata landed and dropped to his knees, sick to his stomach.

He didn't know how long he'd been flying for, or in what direction. He'd just wanted go get as far away as possible from that grisly scene he himself had committed.

He'd not only killed a bunch of Digimon, but consumed their data as well. Some had still been alive and screaming as he'd cannibalized them.

But what really made him sick was that he'd enjoyed it. He'd enjoyed the kills and the power they'd given him. And he wanted more…

"NNNNNOOOO!!" Sekata smacked his head into a tree, trying to shake off the thoughts. "NO! NO! I WON'T PLAY BY YOUR RULES!!"

Going into a frenzy, he charged, smashing everything in his way until he hit a stone wall, the base of a mountain, and stopped.

Leaning his head against the wall, he breathed in hard and tried his best to calm his already greatly agitated nerves.

"My…my voice…" Sekata put a claw to his throat. "I…I can talk now. But how?"

"It's because I let you."

Sekata felt a hot breath at the back of his neck and spun round to face a terrifying, dragon-like face. Screaming, he fell backwards and crawled away as the huge creature eyed him in amusement.

Even through it stood on all fours, Sekata standing up would've only brought him to its face level. It was clad in red armor that looked very similar to his own. It was almost like a version of Vritramon on four legs. Following the similarities were the fiery wings and the Wargreymon-style head and helmet. A golden mane sprouted from beneath the helmet, which waved in the slight breeze.

The creature's tail swung about as its glowing blue eyes watched Sekata's every move.

"Who…what are you?" Sekata managed.

"I am AncientGreymon of the Warrior 10." He growled.

"W…What do you want with me?"

"You have something that belongs to me. My Spirit."

"Your…Spirit?" Sekata looked down at himself. "Is that why I…I look so much like you?"

"My Spirit…"

"All right already!" Sekata yelled, waving his arms. "Just tell me how I get it off me!"

"It comes off…with your head…"

"My WHAT?!"

Sekata barely leapt out of the way in time as AncientGreymon lunged at him.

"You must be kidding!!"

The only response he got was another attack from AncientGreymon.

"Guuarrgghh!" Sekata stumbled back, clutching his slashed left shoulder. "Hey! What did I ever do to deserve this?!"

"Oh, nothing really. You were just unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I won't die without a fight!" Sekata roared, bring up his arm mounted weapons. " Corona Blaster!"

AncientGreymon turned to his side and blocked the energy bursts with his wing and forearms. He then swung his tail, catching Sekata at the side of his head and knocking him into the side of the rocky hill.

"Is that the best you can do, human?" The ancient Digimon taunted. "You make pathetic use of my Spirit!"

"I…wait! How did you know that?"

"I know all about you, Sekata. The Spirit connects us, and I can look into your mind with it. Hmmm…interesting memories you have." AncientGreymon laughed. "Let's have a look, now shall we?"

"NO! Leave my head alone!"

Too late, Sekata found himself engulfed by a bright light. When it cleared, he realized he was looking at a very familiar scene.

It was his Aikido dojo. And there was a class going on. Sekata saw himself, his human self, there as well. This was the day before he'd entered the Digital World.

"You're trying too hard. Relax and don't tense yourself up." His Sensei had told him on that day. "In an actual situation, you'll have to learn to do that."

"GGAARGGHHH!! GET OUT OF MY MIND!!" Sekata yelled, shaking the vision away.

He dropped down to his hands and knees, filled with mixed emotions. After being away from home for so long, those scenes had just stirred up some feelings he couldn't describe. The homesickness and feelings for the life he'd left behind.

"Soon, your body and soul will belong to me. It's only a matter of time…"

"FLAME STORM!" Fire burst out and engulfed Sekata's body as he unleashed Vritramon's attack. He spun around, sending the flames in random directions, hoping to hit something.

When he stopped to look around, all he saw was a burning forest around him. AncientGreymon was nowhere in sight.

"W…What?!"

"Look! The fires!"

"Vritramon must be nearby! Let's put and end to that beast!"

Several more voices rang out from nearby.

"Oh no…" Sekata realized he'd get the blame for setting the forest ablaze, yet another sin onto his list. It would be even harder to clear his name.

_Was this what AncientGreymon wanted? _

"There he is!"

Sekata dodged a series of energy blasts and various attacks being thrown at him.

A net was thrown over him, getting his arms and wings entangled as he stumbled. Sekata roared in pain as a spear was thrust into his shoulder. In retaliation, he grabbed the weapon and pulled, throwing its holder off. He snapped the spear and yanked it out of his shoulder.

Channeling his inner fires around his body, Sekata burnt the net off him. That frightened the attacking Digimon enough to send them fleeing.

Somehow, Sekata managed to suppress the instinct to attack and instead channeled it into running away as fast as his body would move.

As he ran, Sekata could swear he'd heard AncientGreymon's voice laughing at him.

_Run all you wish, my prey. All the more fun hunting you down… _

* * *

Zoe stood off to the side, watching Aero V-dramon and his group talking to several Digimon. Vritramon had attacked again, leaving this area burning as well.

"It was strange." A Birdramon was saying. "Like he was fighting some invisible enemy. He was yelling like crazy and firing everywhere, but he didn't really seem to attack us at all, until we did so first."

Zoe had been on the verge of dosing off, but that statement caught her attention.

_Hmmm… _

Again, she thought back to the look Vritramon had given her in the earlier battle.

"Could it be?" She wondered, bringing up her Digivice. "OK, come on Digivice, you know what I want you to do."

The screen of the Digivice flashed, and then a compass arrow lit up. Zoe only hoped it would show her to the correct thing.

As quietly as she could, she left the group, spreading her white wings and flying off into the dark skies.

* * *

"God…he just won't leave me alone." Sekata panted.

If his eyes could look bloodshot, they certainly would now. It was a living nightmare, being haunted by the voice of the ancient Digimon. Sekata had done everything he could: fighting, running, trying to block out the sounds.

AncientGreymon would appear from time to time, but mysteriously disappear and leave him to take the blame for another scene of destruction.

In addition to that, he was being hunted by every Digimon within 10 miles. It wasn't just the fact, but the abuse they'd yelled out to him as well. Quotes along the line of 'monster', 'beast', 'vile creature'.

He was battered and bruised in too many places to count, thanks to all the Digimon attacking him.

It was unnerving, frustrating and maddening to say the least.

"If this keeps up…I'm going to lose whatever's left of my sanity." He gasped. "I'm exhausted, drained, hungry…need to kill…need to…AARRRGGHHH!"

Sekata smashed his head into a pile of rocks.

_Why don't I…just give in…I can't…fight this any longer… _

Voices…his ears had just picked them up.

_Those fools! They're still coming for me! I'll…I'll kill them all!! _

Adrenaline pumping into his blood, he charged. The entire line of soldiers screamed in panic as he tore through their lines with his claws. The soldiers scattered, some trampling their comrades in the confusion.

He took advantage of that, skewering one with his claws and blowing another apart with his blasters.

"Defend yourselves!" A voice shouted.

Sekata lifted a claw to ward off the shots that were coming at him. Snarling, he grabbed the closest V-dramon and threw him into his comrades.

Another V-dramon leapt into him from behind. Sekata bent forward, throwing it off and snatching it in mid air. The unfortunate Digimon was beheaded before he even had a chance to scream.

"V-Wing Blade!"

The explosion sent Sekata flying backward, rolling head over heels into a clearing. Roaring, he pulled himself up. Right now, he didn't care…he had to vent his frustration…had to take out in anger, his fury…by killing everything in sight.

Sekata had finally submitted to the vicious instincts. He glared around at all his adversaries, his vision blood red in anticipation.

"Aero V-dramon! Hold on! Stop the troops from attacking!" A lighter voice called.

Another Digimon had appeared. This one ran up to what seemed to be the leaders of his opponent's warriors.

"What?! But we've got him this…"

"Just do it! And leave him to me."

"But…"

"NOW!"

"Urgh!" The commander gasped as the female grabbed him by the throat. "All right. Troops, hold your fire!"

"Thank you." The female dropped him and turned towards Vritramon.

With a determined look on her face, she began to approach.

"You're a very brave girl to want to die first." Vritramon growled.

"That's because I know I won't…Sekata."

* * *

Zoe knew she was playing a dangerous game. She was working on instinct, and on a hunch.

But seeing Vritramon hesitate a little brought more confidence into herself.

"I…I…you…RRRRAAARRR!"

Zoe rolled away as Vritramon charged, slamming down onto the spot she'd been standing on seconds ago.

"Sekata! I know you're in there! It's me, Zoe!" Zoe ducked under another swing and ran behind Vritramon. "Whatever's got you, I know you can fight it!"

Vritramon brought up his arm mounted blasters and sent Zoe into a leaping frenzy to avoid his shots. She gasped as one of the shots got her in the right thigh.

"Sekata! You're stronger than this! You can pull through!" Zoe continued. "UUrrghh!"

Vritramon rammed her to the ground.

"Fight it! Come back to us…come back to me!"

Vritramon kneed her in the stomach and drove an uppercut into the bottom of her chin. Zoe hit the ground hard, on her back, and cried out as Vritramon stomped a leg onto her.

Aero V-dramon seemed tense, desperate to do something. Zoe held her hand up, telling him to wait.

"Sekata…argh!"

Zoe struggled as Vritramon grabbed her around the neck, cutting off her air supply. She froze as the barrel on Vritramon's blaster was jabbed right into her snout.

"This time…I'm know you won't." Zoe managed. "You won't kill…the one who loves you!"

Vritramon halted instantaneously. His eyes continued to stare as his arm trembled. In those moments, it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Zoe's back suddenly hit the ground as Vritramon dropped her.

"Z…Z…Zoe…" He staggered, his entire body shaking.

Zoe could feel it though his leg, which she struggled to pull herself out under from. Vritramon dropped to one knee as Zoe freed herself.

"Z…Zoe…"

Zoe threw her arms around his shoulders, and gave him a kiss. Vritramon moved his head and roared with all his might, shaking violently. Zoe held on for those few tense seconds until she felt his movements slowing, and then finally coming to a stop.

"Zoe…Zoe…you're…"

"Yes. Sekata, I'm here."

Zoe saw the red coloring in his eyes fade and turn instead to a light blue.

"I almost…I…RRRAARGGHHH!"

"Sekata!"

Sekata let go of Zoe and ran over to the side, where he proceeded to whack his head against another pile of rocks. He went down onto his hands and knees after the rocks had been reduced to pebbles.

Zoe ran over to him and hugged him. Tears were running down his face and onto her arms. And that did look very odd, considering Sekata's Vritramon form.

"It's all right, I'm here for you. I'll always be."

"Zoe…thanks…" Sekata looked up.

Behind them, Aero V-dramon smiled, and silently gestured for the others to leave.

"Love finds a way." He spoke softly. "I'll be waiting nearby. Just give me a call once you're done."

"Thanks for everything Aero V-dramon." Zoe nodded.

"No, you were the real hero today." He said, before departing.

_Hahaha…you are indeed a fascinating creature. _

"Huh?" Sekata gasped, hearing the voice in his mind.

_Congratulations on being the first to keep their mind intact for this long. _

Sekata looked down at the puddle of his tears in the wet grass to see AncientGreymon's image.

_I think I'll let you keep my Spirit for now. But remember, you'll always be connected to me. I'll be back for you one day…and then I'll kill you. Train hard until that time, I want a satisfying victory, not an easy one. _

"That isn't very reassuring." Sekata muttered.

_In life, things seldom are, human. Well, until then… _

The image faded.

"Hey! Wait!"

"Sekata, who are you talking to?" Zoe asked.

"AncientGreymon. Didn't you see him sometime? In those sites I was at?"

"AncientGreymon of the Warrior 10? But he's been dead for thousands of years."

"What?"

"And about those areas, you were the only one spotted. The reports said you were attacking thin air."

"Impossible…I…I physically felt him when he attacked me." Sekata insisted. "But then, who have I been talking to all this time?"

"We can puzzle over that once we've had some rest." Zoe decided, standing up and offering a claw.

"Guess you're right." Sekata accepted the hand. "So, was I scary?"

"Oh sure, the 'big scary' dragon is crying like a baby." Zoe laughed, wiping his tears away.

"Hey!"

"Hahaha…at least you won't be complaining about looking cute."

"Zoe, I have to ask…" Sekata turned towards her. "Was it true when you said…that…you…"

"AHEM! Sorry folks, but I think we should get going!" Aero V-dramon waved. "It'll be safer to discuss this back in town."

"Oh…yeah." The pair nodded simultaneously.

* * *

"Do you think it's really a good idea bringing me back here?" Sekata asked. "Considering…well, the obvious?"

"I got my troops to spread the word that we wouldn't have to worry about Vritramon anymore." Aero V-dramon replied. "Since there haven't been many Digimon who've gotten close enough for a good look, I'm playing on the bet that they won't recognize you."

"Hopefully." Zoe added in, taking note of the few townsfolk around. One or two were giving them odd glances, however no one had started making a fuss…yet.

"Here, this is where I normally hang out." Aero V-dramon pushed open a door and brought the pair into a bar. This one had been designed with larger Digimon in mind and was currently packed.

Heads turned as the trio entered, but no one said anything out loud. There was a lot of murmuring and Sekata nervously gazed around.

It was the bartender, an Apemon, who finally approached him.

"Hey, aren't you the Legendary Warrior, Vritramon?"

There was a sudden and complete silence throughout the bar. Zoe and Aero V-dramon had the 'Oh-oh!' looks on their faces.

Sekata cleared his throat.

"Nah, I'm BurningGreymon. I've been told I look a lot like Vritramon through."

"But what's the difference?"

Zoe and Aero V-dramon cringed. Sekata however, put on a grin.

"Well, Vritramon's Japanese and I'm from the American Dub."

The entire bar burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! That's a good one pal." The bartender said, slapping Sekata's back. "Here, this one's on me!"

He placed a large bottle of Sake on the table. (And we're talking about the large kind of jugs, like Auron's in Final Fantasy 10.)

"Enjoy your stay here!"

"Thanks."

Zoe and Aero V-dramon finally breathed out as the rest of the crowd went back to their own business.

"That was close." Zoe whispered. "But how did you know?"

"Someone on the Internet told me that once." Sekata replied. "But who cares? It fooled them after all."

"Hmmm…looks like some of the bar girls are winking at me." Aero V-dramon cocked his head to one side. "I think I'll leave you two alone for a while."

The blue dragon winked as he left the table.

"Hey, you know Gargoylemon is going to be searching like crazy for us." Zoe commented. "It's like, what 4 am ?"

"I hate to say it, but I really can't be bothered." Sekata muttered. "This has been the worst night of my life. I'm utterly exhausted, but I'm just in no mood for sleeping."

"Somehow, I feel this won't be the last."

"Yeah…" He nodded. His eyes then fell upon the bottle of Sake. "Hmmm…"

"Sekata, aren't you under aged for that?"

"We're Digimon now. And they don't care!" Sekata grabbed the bottle and took a gulp. "It's pretty good! Try some."

"No thanks."

"Come on, when is a dragon like you such a wimp?"

"A WHAT?!" Zoe slammed her claws down on the table, causing several heads to turn in their direction. "All right, let's have a contest!"

"You're on!"

Another bottle was tossed to her.

"On three…" Sekata growled.

"THREE!"

The crowd began cheering as the pair started gulping down their drinks. Over on the other side, Aero V-dramon shook his head as he sipped from his own jug.

"Remember people, don't try this at home!"


	9. Defend the City! Paildramon’s Challenge!

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Defend the City! Paildramon's Challenge! **

By nightdragon0

"Just what happened to HIM?!" Steve staggered.

"I'm sorry, I think he's suffering from a hangover." Aero V-dramon replied. "I shouldn't have brought him to that bar…"

"NO, I meant he EVOLVED!" Steve yelled, jabbing a finger at the Vritramon. "Now I can't tease him about looking cute!"

Barely conscious, Sekata only moaned.

"Is that all you think about Steve? Urgh…I don't feel good myself." Zoe said, shaking her head.

She and Aero V-dramon were supporting Sekata between them while Gargoylemon, who had managed to find them, led the way back to the castle. Steve had come out to meet them.

"How much did he drink?"

"You don't want to know." Zoe sighed. "I think you'd want to hear what we've been through all night through."

The group had finally arrived at the castle gate. Exhausted, they dropped Sekata, who barely seemed to feel himself hitting the ground.

"You guys finally got back? We've been worried!"

"Jan! Good to hear your…huh?" Zoe had been looking up, expecting to see the huge MegaloGrowmon. Instead, a much smaller Digimon ran up.

A Guilmon.

"Oh yeah, they managed to fix it." Janet winked, showing off the completely red D-Ark style Digivice.

"Hey, just how did they do that?" Gargoylemon stared in disbelief. "And who?"

"Gold V-dramon and Depthmon."

"Aero, long time no see." Gold V-dramon said, walking onto the scene. "Still with the noble crusader act?"

"You should say that about yourself, Gold." Aero V-dramon smiled, giving her a hug.

"I assume you two know each other." Zoe commented.

"He was from my class at military school." Gold V-dramon informed the group.

"Yep. We're both in the same field of work, just we do stuff differently." Aero V-dramon agreed. "Well, I hate to be rude, but I think I should get going."

"So soon, Aero? I was hoping we'd get a chance to catch up on old times."

"I'm sorry Gold, but I have appointments. Besides, I'm a drifter. I don't feel comfortable staying in one place."

"Thanks for everything, Aero V-dramon." Zoe added in, pulling Sekata up by his arm. "I'm sure Sekata's happy too, right?"

Sekata's head flopped into Zoe's arm and he began snoring.

"Oh, forget it!" She growled, roughly dropping Sekata.

"Haha, don't worry. I understand." Aero V-dramon laughed, spreading his wings. "Give him my regards once he wakes up!"

"Bye Aero." Gold V-dramon waved.

The remaining Digimon and Digimorphs watched as the blue form of Aero V-dramon disappeared into the distance.

"Guys, how about bringing Sekata in and not leaving him as the doormat?" Steve suggested, waving his arms to get everyone's attention.

"You're a fine one to talk about it when you're the one stepping on him." Jan muttered.

* * *

The group set Sekata down next to the pond in the garden, where Depthmon was taking a dip.

"Hmmm…he looks pretty nice." Depthmon commented. "What did you do to him?"

"Long story." Zoe replied. "But I think we've got time to tell it."

"Hold on!" Gargoylemon interrupted. "Not until you tell me how you managed to fix Jan's Digivice without the micro-electronical processing unit!"

"Trade secret." Depthmon cocked his head to one side.

"Gold?!"

Gold V-dramon gave him the 'my lips are sealed' gesture.

"OH whatever! Have it your way then!" Gargoylemon muttered, clearly pissed as he entered the castle.

"The 'trade secret' bit is what he loves to give us whenever we ask him things like these." Gold V-dramon explained.

"But what DID you do?" Jan asked.

"Just wait about 5 seconds." Depthmon grinned.

"Huh?"

"…3…2…1…"

"DDDEEPPTTHHHMMMMOOOOONNNN!" Gargoylemon's scream rang out from the upper level. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PLAYSTATION 2??"

Giggling, Depthmon and Gold V-dramon gave each other high fives.

* * *

**Later… **

"There, you see this here?" Magnamon pointed at a spot on the computer screen, which currently displayed a map.

The entire group had gathered in the meeting room, with the exception of Sekata.

"That's the Shrine of the Wind." Sagittarimon continued. "Considering Myotismon's troops have been sighted around these locations…"

The centaur lit up several more spots on the map, all of which seemed to encircle the dot Magnamon had indicated.

"We suspect the shrine might be his target."

"What's so important about the shrine?" Jan asked, raising her claw.

"It holds an artifact known as the Orb of the Wind." Magnamon said. "Its true power is yet unknown, but we wouldn't count out Myotismon on not knowing. The shrine is protected by a mystic barrier, but again Myotismon has resources. A temple in town holds a set of crystals which will allow us to pass through the barrier if necessary."

"Which is why we plan to set up an ambush and take him out." Sagittarimon told them. "Soldiers from the town will be joining in our efforts."

"He won't get away this time." Magnamon agreed. "Are you coming with us?"

The last question was addressed to Zoe, Steve and Jan. All three nodded.

"He has Sekata's Digivice." Jan reminded them. "And we need to get that back."

"If you don't mind, Sekata's not fully recovered yet." Zoe said. "I'll stay here with him, and we'll come once he's OK."

"All right. I'll inform the mayor of your delayed arrival." Magnamon nodded. "Get yourselves prepared. We'll move out in an hour's time."

One by one, everyone filed out of the room until only Steve and Magnamon were left. Steve saw Magnamon staring hard at the map and walked over to her.

"What's wrong?"

"The town is Cape Point." She said softly, pointing to the map.

"What's so important there?"

"It's the place where Flamedramon fought his last battle." She replied.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I…"

"Don't worry about it." Magnamon shook her head. "Steve, let me tell you. If there's ever someone you truly care about…don't wait. You'll never know when…it'll be too late to say…those 3 magic words …"

With that, she turned and left. However, there was a glister of a single tear, falling down onto the carpet.

* * *

Zoe watched the others departing, then turned back towards Sekata's sleeping form. He seemed peaceful, for now at least, but Zoe wondered what was actually going on inside his mind.

Zoe tapped her Digivice, strapped to a leather belt she now wore around her waist. Also part of the belt was a card holder, doubling its usefulness. Steve had been testing it with his armored forms and found the belt seemed to 'meld' into each one. Despite the lack of a reasonable explanation for it, each of the foursome his adopted one for use with their Digivices and cards.

She sat down on the bed beside him and stroked the side of his armored head. Of course, it felt hard and cold, but Zoe felt what was inside instead.

_I wonder…what's the human within truly like? _

Zoe leaned down closer…and closer.

_Can I? _

They were almost snout to snout when Sekata stirred and turned over to the other side. Zoe immediately drew back, embarrassed.

_Way to go girl. _Her inner voice laughed. _You kissed him yesterday, so what's wrong with you now? _

_I…I…_Zoe argued. _Yesterday, it was out of necessity…but I want to…wait for his approval. _

_You're a fool. _

Zoe got up, shaking her head.

"Maybe I'll go to the library and look up some info on the ancient warriors."

* * *

Even Steve could sense something amiss as Jan and him walked behind the knights. They silently but quickly strode along the outskirts of town.

Raindramon backed off and pulled Steve's arm with his mouth.

"Psst…I want to show you something." He whispered. "It'll be quick, I promise. Besides, I know a shortcut to where they're going."

"Go on." Jan gestured with her head. "I'll let them know."

"Thanks." Steve replied.

Raindramon led him through the streets until they arrived at what seemed to be the town square. It was basically a small park with a fountain in the center.

"Check that out, the statue at the fountain."

"Wow…" Steve gasped as they approached it.

It was a magnificent marble statue of a Flamedramon, in a battle position with his legs and tail apart, one arm raised as if to strike and the other in front, in a guarding position. The whole thing shone with its white coloring as the sunlight fell upon it.

"They built this here, after my brother…well…you know."

There was no need for words as Steve reached out to admire the statue.

"There's something else too…" Raindramon ran behind the statue, reached his head underwater and handed something to Steve.

"What's this?" Steve attached his gauntlets to the armored sections on his tights and took the object in his blue, three fingered claws.

It was a choker made of the same material as the straps around a Flamedramon's arms. From it hung a small keychain in the shape of the Crest of Courage.

"It was my brother's. We found it washed up along the shore. And I want you to have it."

"Hey, I couldn't…"

"Don't worry, really." Raindramon smiled. "I know he'd want you to have it."

"But…"

"I think you should." Both heads turned to see Magnamon approaching. Janet was walking along beside her.

"Since everyone insists." Steve clipped the choker around his neck, which fit him perfectly.

"Looks good on you." Jan commented.

"Let's go then." Magnamon said. "The troops are ready."

As the others moved on, Steve and Raindramon lingered behind.

"It is when a warrior accepts the truth that truly can he be deemed a warrior."

"Huh?" Steve whirled around to find Yasyamon standing nearby. "Did you…actually…say something?"

Yasyamon shrugged and walked past Steve as if he hadn't heard the question.

"Weird guy." Raindramon commented. "I always though he was mute, but I think I get what he means. Come on!"

Steve followed the young Digimon around the corner, to where Jan was standing off to the side and sniffing.

"What's up?" Steve queried.

"Hmmm…I smell bread."

At that Steve burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Man, you're turning into Guilmon in terms in mentality too!"

"Grrrrr…why you!" Jan took a swipe at him, but ended up stumbling on a crack in the floor.

Instinctively, Steve reached out and caught her before she fell. For the next few seconds, the pair stared uneasily at each other.

"Let go Steve! I can take care of myself!"

"OK."

"Wait…urgh!" Not properly balanced, Janet hit the floor face first.

* * *

"Legends say the Warrior 10 fought against the forces of darkness in ancient times." Zoe read from the computer screen. "However, it is also said that the 10 sacrificed themselves in a battle against the 'Greatest Evil'. Only this much is known, but it has been said that each warrior was empowered by the powers of 2 parts of his spirit, a Human-type and a Beast-type."

Zoe sighed, leaning back against the chair.

"Nothing I can get to explain what Sekata claims he's been seeing."

Zoe happened to turn towards another computer, which showed the map Magnamon had used for the briefing earlier. Feeling something, she got up and walked towards it.

"The town? Why do I feel so…"

All of a sudden, a thought snapped into her head. A vision, to be exact. She couldn't make out much, just fires and screams. But what she could clearly see was the town under attack, and a statue in the center of it being destroyed.

"What the?!" Zoe out her hand to her head. "I'm not drunk or anything, right? I'm not psychic for that matter either."

_Or are you? _

"I'll just check it out." Zoe decided. "Sekata probably won't notice me gone, and I have to know…"

* * *

"Does this look like the place?" Janet asked.

"It definitely is." Sagittarimon replied. "I don't see any hostiles about, but we can't be too sure."

The last rays of the evening sunlight were disappearing as the group walked up the stairs leading into the shrine.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a barrier or something around this place?" Raindramon asked.

"I don't sense it through." Magnamon muttered. "Something's wrong."

Breaking into a sprint, she dashed up the steps and pushed the doors open.

"Hey, hold on there!" Sagittarimon yelled, chasing after her.

Steve entered the shrine together with the rest of the group. It was basically a large, empty, circular room with only a raised pedestal in the center.

Squinting in the darkness, Steve saw a white glowing orb floating above the pedestal. It was the source of what little light there was in the room.

"This orb…it's a fake!" Magnamon gasped, putting her hands closer to it. "I don't feel the power I did the last time I was near it."

"What?!" Equally surprised, Gargoylemon reached out for it.

"No, don't touch it!" Gold V-Dramon yelled. "It could be a…"

"Yargh!"

A bright light emitted as Gargoylemon touched it, throwing everyone back.

"Could be a trap." Gold V-Dramon finished.

As if on cue, the stone doors slammed shut. The glowing orb, which had fallen onto the floor, flashed several more times before it shattered.

"Not good." Sagittarimon fired an arrow at the door, only to have its energy nullified by some invisible shield.

Magnamon charged at the door with her shoulder, only to have the same force throw her back.

"This seems like a Moonlight Seal." Gargoylemon muttered, poking at the remains of the shattered orb. "Disguised as the Orb of the Wind."

"Meaning?" Steve asked.

"A Moonlight Seal is something like a magic spell. It activates during the night and forms a protective barrier around a certain radius of the area it was cast at. While it stops things from getting in, it also prevents us from getting out."

"Pathetic, I think the sun just set too." Depthmon cursed, tapping the side of his helmet. "The shield's jamming my com-link too! We won't be able to call in the reinforcements hiding outside."

Yasyamon folded his arms and shook his head.

"The orbs have been switched…but how?" Magnamon wondered. "Someone was here before us and got through the barrier. But there weren't any signs of tampering about the shrine."

"Maybe the guy had one of the crystal keys?" Raindramon suggested.

"That's impossible kid." Depthmon snapped. "We checked with the temple guards and all the keys were accounted for."

"Perhaps Raindramon is right…" All heads turned towards Magnamon. "Then, that could only mean that we've been set up…"

* * *

"This is too quiet…"

It was already dark by the time Zoe reached the town. She landed in the center of town and glanced around. Her eyes caught sight of the statue she'd seen in her vision, the statue of a Flamedramon.

"How could you do this?!" A voice rang out. "You've betrayed us to that vampire!"

"You old fool of a mayor! We'll all suffer his wraith thanks to you siding with the Knights!"

Zoe strained her ears and dashed towards the source of the sounds, a large building that seemed like a town hall.

"You're the real fool Flarerizamon."

"At least by giving him the Orb of the Wind, I'll be spared from the destruction of your precious town!"

Zoe kicked the door open. Standing there were a Flarerizamon, holding a glowing white orb and a Kongoumon, a large golden beetle (Wormmon's armored form with the Digimetal of Miracles).

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere with that." Zoe growled, stepping up behind the Flarerizamon.

"Get out of my way! Now!"

"You'll have to make me."

"Blaze Buster!"

Zoe turned her body to the side and barely dodged the ray of fire. With one leap, she cleared the space between the two and drove a kick into his face. The fire Digimon hit the ground, rolling over to the side.

"Give up!"

"Never!" Flarerizamon yelled, smashing a window open and leaping through. The next instant, Flarerizamon screamed.

Zoe stared out the window to find an Allomon standing amidst the cloud of Flarerizamon's evaporating data bits.

"That traitor…won't be going anywhere…" Allomon gasped, before collapsing.

Zoe realized his body was battered and bleeding all over.

"Are you all right?" She asked, running to the dinosaur's side. "Hang in there!"

"It's…too late for me." He gasped. "Magnamon's knights…are…trapped in the shrine…Moonlight Seal. Flarerizamon set us all up…"

"What happened to the soldiers?"

"Myotismon's troops attacked….the rest were either killed or scattered…and forced to retreat. Won't…be able…to help…"

Kongoumon had run up to the two as well.

"The enemy's…just outside the town. Sir, I'm sorry…" Allomon addressed Kongoumon. "I…failed…"

Allomon lay his head down and closed his eyes before his body too, broke up into data particles, leaving only the white orb lying on the ground.

"This is terrible!" Kongoumon sighed.

"Exactly what happened here?" Zoe asked. "Magnamon's Knights were supposed to join up with the town's soldiers and attack!"

"That was the message I received at first, but then Flarerizamon brought another message saying there was a change of plans. He was supposed to bring the real Orb of the Wind here and leave a decoy in its place…and I let him have one of the keys to get through the shrine's barrier."

"Yeah, and it looks like he planned to turn it over to Myotismon. But what of the Knights?"

"Allomon mentioned a Moonlight Seal. It's a spell that activates during the night, preventing entry to a certain radius but also prevent anyone within from getting out. I'm afraid they won't be able to help us for the entire night."

"When Myotismon's powers are the strongest. Damn!" Zoe kicked the floor. "Didn't you check with Magnamon when the group came through?"

"Flarerizamon said everything was going according to plan, and I trusted him." Kongoumon said regretfully.

"We can't do anything about that now." Zoe replied, picking the orb up. "This is the Orb of the Wind?"

"Indeed."

"If Allomon's right, the town is about to get attacked. Do we have anything to defend it with?"

"The trained soldiers went out with the Knights. There are several squads of cadets remaining and there's a cache of explosives in the basement, but that's it."

"You have got to be kidding." Zoe gasped.

"We're doomed…" Kongoumon shook his head.

"No, not yet." Zoe snapped. "We'll have to fight until the last mon! At least until sunrise."

"We'll never hold out that long!"

"Not with brute force, but with a little strategy." Zoe said, putting on the most confident look she could muster.

"It's all in your claws then." Kongoumon nodded.

"Get whoever we still have together."

_Jeez, Sekata, where are you when I really need you to go berserk on something? _Zoe thought. _Can I do this on my own? Was this what I 'saw' back then? _

Zoe looked up to see several Digimon approaching her location.

_I have to try… _

"All right guys, here's the plan…"

* * *

Sekata opened his eyes and looked out the window.

"Wow, it's night. Have I really slept that long?"

Sekata looked down at his Vritramon body. For the first time, he could see it in good lighting conditions. And he had to admit, he did look really cool.

"Not bad indeed." Sekata grinned, admiring himself in the full length mirror.

_I see somebody's quite happy with his new look. _

Sekata's smile faded as he spun round. However, there was nothing behind him.

"AncientGreymon?!"

_I'm in your mind kid, don't forget that. _

"Dammit! Can't you go MIND your own business and leave me alone?!"

_Cute pun. But don't forget either… _

Sekata's right hand moved and its blaster jabbed itself at the bottom of his chin, causing him to cry out in panic. Desperately, he reached out with his other claw to stop it, only to have his other hand turn on him as well.

_Remember boy, I own you. Don't forget that… _

Sekata dropped to his knees, free of whatever had been controlling his body.

"SHUT UP!" He roared, smashing the mirror with his tail.

Panting, he leaned against the wall for support.

"Great, everyone's going to hear this. Hmmm?" He pushed open the door. "Zoe? Anyone?"

No answer. Sekata paused only long enough to strap his card belt on before dashing off.

* * *

"They're coming!" A Hawkmon announced, flying over the barricade.

"All ground troops?" Zoe asked the scout.

"Yes."

"Good. Hurry back to your post and inform the others."

Zoe turned back to looking over the defensive wall as the bird blew off. The town had two sides facing the sea, whose strong currents made it an unlikely position from which to attack. The remaining two sides were first protected by high walls, before the actual roads that led into the city itself.

Those roads had been blocked up by a series of barricades made out of sandbags, bricks, wood and other building materials. The available Digimon had gotten the defenses up pretty fast, something Zoe was thankful for. Myotismon was probably very confident of a victory and had been biding his time until now.

"Get ready." She said to the Digimon behind her.

Several black figures were beginning to approach the lighted pathways. Zoe recognized those as black zombie Digimon she'd encountered before in the Graveyard, although mostly Tyranomon and Tuskmon this time.

"Now!" Zoe roared, letting off an X-laser into the nearest zombie.

The other allied Digimon joined in as all sorts of projectile attacks flew about. The enemy troops weren't sitting ducks of course, and returned fire.

Zoe had her group hold their position at the barricade until the enemy troops were nearly upon them. On her cue, several explosives were tossed into the enemy lines, distracting them long enough for her party to retreat to the second barricade. The Hawkmon scout flew back and gave her a thumbs-up, indicating things had gone as planned at the other barricades.

Each road was protected by 4 barricades, with each one larger than the last. Zoe had a little surprise waiting at the last one. It was now a matter of holding out for as long as possible.

* * *

"Knuckle Fire!" Steve's attacks simply bounced off the invisible shield.

"Fireball! We're getting nowhere Steve." Jan sighed.

The Knights had been pelting the barrier with their own attacks, unfortunately not producing any better effects than Steve and Jan.

"Yeah, we're gonna need a Scroll of Town Portal to get out of here." Steve muttered.

"You can still think about your computer games at a time like…hey! That's it!" Jan beamed, snapping her fingers. "We can try using a Digiport card!"

"Might be worth a shot." Steve nodded, unclipping his Digivice from his belt. "But we can't extend the effects of the card to the others."

"Don't worry about us." Magnamon assured. "Just get back to town, I'm sure something's going to be happening there."

"Thanks." Steve replied.

Janet gave a nod of approval.

"Card Slash!" The pair called out simultaneously. "Digiport open!"

In a bright flash of light, two doorways, shaped like computer screens materialized. The forest area was clearly visible through them. Steve and Jan were suddenly sucked through and found themselves tossed onto the forest floor outside.

Both grunted as they ended up in a heap.

"Ouch…let's not do that again." Jan moaned, clipping her Digivice back onto her belt.

"Yeah, but…erm I think we've got bigger things to worry about." Steve pointed. "Like that bunch of zombies approaching us from all directions, ready to chew our guts out?"

"Thanks for your optimism." Jan replied sarcastically, glaring at the Tyranomon and Tuskmon zombies. "Well, it's these guys again."

"Let's frag 'em!" Steve roared. "Digimetal Up! Radiating Miracles…Magnamon!"

Janet lifted her right claw and a single ring of blue Digicode formed around it.

"Guilmon evolves…" Closing her eyes, she brought it to touch her chest, resulting in a reddish light forming around her body. Blue rings of Digicode joined the light as her Rookie form begun to melt away and change. "…Growlmon!"

"Plasma Shot!"

"Exhaust Flame!"

The two attacks blew the nearest bunch of zombies to pieces.

"Just take enough out so they don't get in our way!" Jan ordered. "We can get delayed out here too long!"

"I'm with you!" Steve agreed.

* * *

"We're at the last barricade!" A Drimogemon called to Zoe. "What do we do after this?"

"It's time for our surprise then." She snarled. "Get the others to move into the town square, now!"

Zoe brought up a flare, lit it and tossed it into the sky. Its red glow was a signal for the others to retreat from the barricades. Zoe counted two minutes before running from the barricade herself and pulling out a control device.

She pressed the button on it and tossed it away, diving for cover. The explosion was still deafening, nevertheless.

The buildings overlooking the barricaded roads had been stuffed with the rest of the explosives. And Zoe had just set them off, causing the buildings to topple over and crush everything on the streets, which so happened to be packed full of the zombies.

The town's defenders cheered as the dust settled, leaving a greatly reduced number of moving zombies. A good portion of the city had been sacrificed for that maneuver, but it had been deemed necessary.

"Is it over?" Kongoumon asked, running over to Zoe.

She was about to answer when a flash of red energy hit Kongoumon, sending him flying off, screaming.

"A bold move, but futile no doubt."

Zoe gasped, turning towards the sound of the voice. It was Myotismon himself, standing amidst the remains of a nearby building. The defenders who hadn't already fled were busy engaging the remaining zombies, leaving Zoe to face the vampire lord by herself.

"I know the orb is here. Hand it over now and your death will be swift and painless!"

"Over my dead body!" Zoe yelled.

"I find your terms are agreeable." In the blink of an eye, Myotismon was beside her. He kicked her in the stomach and sent an uppercut into her chin.

Groaning, Zoe pulled herself up.

"X-laser!"

Myotismon swung his cloak and used his arms to ward off the attack.

"Crimson Lightning!"

Zoe was lashed at her thigh and chest by the pair of red energy whips. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain and staggered to her feet.

"Give up! You're no match for me." Myotismon taunted.

"Rraarrrrrr!" Zoe slashed with her claws, only to have Myotismon dodge and kick her from behind.

Zoe attacked again and Myotismon repeated the stun by elbowing her face. As Zoe dropped to her knees, she was suddenly assaulted by a vicious fray of kicks and energy whip lashings. Exhausted, she fell back against the fountain in the center of the town square.

Grinning, Myotismon walked over and lifted the dragon up by the neck.

_No…I…can't…die…like…this…_

Myotismon tightened his grip, strangling her.

_Please…g…give…me…strength…Sekata! _

A blue light emitted from the Digivice on her belt, startling Myotismon and causing him to let go.

"W…What?!"

Zoe brought up both claws, forming a single ring of Digicode around each one. Growling, she brought both together and crossed them in front of her face. The Matrix Evolution symbol, a pair of red and black overlapping triangles, formed in front of her claws.

"XV-mon evolves…"

Blue light, mingled with Digicode engulfed Zoe's body as it begun to melt away and change.

"…Paildramon!"

"No!" Myotismon gasped.

Zoe was larger and more intimidating now, especially since she now stood significantly taller than him.

"Crimson Lightning!"

This time, Zoe caught the whip and pulled, dragging Myotismon towards her. She sent a fist straight into his face, sending the vampire stumbling backwards with a bleeding lip.

"Want to learn what's the proper way to treat a lady?!" The newly evolved Paildramon declared.

"You haven't won yet! Troops! Attack!" Myotismon ordered. "Troops? Argh!"

Myotismon spun round to find only a wall of fire behind him.

"Seems like your troops are all heated up!" Sekata grinned, stepping out from the flames.

The vampire turned back to find Zoe had her waist mounted guns raised.

"Desperado Blaster!"

Myotismon raised his arms to block, but was immediately assaulted from behind.

" Corona Blaster!"

"Uurrgghh! Curse you all!" Myotismon swore.

The vampire turned to flee, only to find a Growlmon blacking his path.

"You're not getting away!" Janet snarled.

Myotismon took to the sky instead, heading towards the sea. Sekata and Zoe took off after him. The vampire lord still had a head start and it seemed like he was going to get away.

"Thunder Blast!"

"Judgment Arrow!"

"Plasma Shot!"

"Bubble Bomb!"

"V Breath Arrow!"

The combined attacks of the Digimetal Knights blew Myotismon out of the sky. Yasyamon and Gargoylemon attacked as he fell, both ramming him with their shoulders. Myotismon hit the ground and found Steve in Flamedramon form standing over him.

"Fire Rocket!" The resulting explosion sent Myotismon flying into the sky again. "Finish it off!"

Blades emerged from Zoe's wrists as she charged. Myotismon let off a swarm of bats, but Zoe simply cut through them like a hot knife through butter.

"Esgrima!" With a roar, she stabbed a blade through the vampire's heart.

"Just like in the movies!" Sekata commented. "Let's end this!"

"Desperado…"

"Corona…"

"…BLASTER!" The two cries rang out and the energy bolts tore through Myotismon.

The vampire let off one final scream before he broke up into data bits. Zoe's Digivice glowed as she raised it.

"A soul consumed by darkness…this Digivice will purify! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

A small object fell from the disappearing data cloud. Steve reached out and caught it.

"Sekata! It's your Digivice!" Steve called out triumphantly.

Sekata wasn't really listening as he flew over to Zoe and gave her a long hug, getting cheers from everyone on the ground.

Janet waved, running up to join the rejoicing group.

"What happened to the orb?" She asked.

"I have it." Steve told them, reaching beneath his vest. "Kongoumon told me he put it beneath the fountain and I took it. It's…"

Steve's face fell.

"You lost it?!" Jan yelled.

"Look it's over there!" Gargoylemon pointed to the orb, resting at the edge of a cliff leading down into the ocean. "I think you just dropped it."

"Yeah, I'll just…whoops!" Steve accidentally kicked a small rock, which hit the Orb of the Wind and sent it plummeting into the ocean. "OH…shit…"

Immediately, thunder crackled and the sky turned dark. A strong wind began brewing up.

"A storm?!" Raindramon gasped.

"It must be the power of the orb!" Magnamon shouted. "We've got to get out of here!"

Everyone nodded and the Knights quickly left. Sekata flew on ahead, but Zoe seemed to have some problems.

"Sekata! The wind's catching my wings! And I've got four of them!"

The winds were getting stronger and stronger every second, nearing a tornado-like speed.

"Just fold them and you'll be…"

"Aarrgghhh!" Zoe screamed as she was pulled away by the wind currents.

"NO!" Sekata roared, reaching out and grabbing her arm.

Janet ran forward and managed to grab on to Sekata's tail. Steve ran up her head and joined in. Magnamon and the others were screaming out something behind them, but the howling winds made it impossible to hear.

And all of a sudden, Jan lost her footing, sending the group of four into the whirling mercy of the tornado.


	10. Thieves of Oceania

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Thieves of Oceania**

By nightdragon0

Steve's world was spinning. Literally.

In the midst of his ordeal, he remembered the tornado that had swept up him and his friends. He remembered screaming in the middle of the whirling madness, losing all track of his friends in the process.

After what seemed like forever, the spinning finally stopped. Steve felt himself falling and opened his eyes.

What he saw was that he was high in the sky, plummeting headfirst towards the ocean at an astonishingly rapid pace.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" He screamed in panic, through he wasn't sure exactly what for.

For one thing, Steve as a human hated heights. For another, Flamedramon was a fire Digimon, which obviously didn't belong in the sea. And third, the force of hitting the water from this height would be rather painful.

Perhaps it was all those things.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOO!!"

SPLOOSH!

"AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!! WATER!! HELP!! HELP!! MY FIRES ARE GOING OUT!! HEELLPP!!"

And Steve continued splashing about until he realized he looked like a complete idiot.

(Steve sweatdrops.)

"OK…that accomplished nothing." He muttered, spitting out salt water, partially glad that there was no one around to see him freak-out.

Treading water to keep afloat, Steve studied his surroundings. Not like there was much to see. It was water in every direction as far as eye could see. There was no sight of his friends, where ever they'd been thrown to.

Steve hoped they were all right, but now found himself with problems of his own.

"Let's see…I can keep swimming here and hope a Whamon swims by and decide to give me a lift. If not, I'll eventually fall asleep and drown and die."

Glancing around, Steve remembered he was alone.

"Geez, this sucks. I don't even have anyone to annoy with my jokes." He sighed. "Let's see…"

His first thought was evolving to Gargoylemon and flying towards land. Problem was that he didn't know which way land was and his Digivice's map feature wasn't exactly a top-class map.

He could easily drain all his strength before getting anywhere. Also being above the ocean during the day meant he wouldn't get any drafts or thermals and he'd have to flap his wings more times.

So, that left him with plan B.

"Guess this Digimetal will come in handy after all." He grinned, looking at the image of the Digimetal of Faith on his Digivice. "Digimetal up! Faith's vessel….Depthmon!"

In a flash of light and Digicode, his Flamedramon form changed into the armored body of a merman.

His main body and shoulder armor was a light blue with gray claws, waist area and tail. His head was covered by a scuba diver style helmet, with an oxygen mask over his mouth and two 'horn' coming out of the back of the helmet. Orange tuffs of hair also sprouted out from beneath the helmet. His face section was covered by a silver visor/shield, making it impossible to see his face from the outside.

All of a sudden, Steve felt completely at home in the water.

"Wow, this is cool." He commented, flipping his dolphin-like tail about. "All right, back to business!"

Diving down, he swam beneath the waves. Despite his sense of urgency, it was impossible not to stop and admire all the marine life around.

Seaweeds, urchins, sea anemone, colored corals and schools of fish that dispersed as Steve swam through them. It was fun on his part too, being able to stay underwater without having to come up for air.

Steve happened to touch the choker around his neck and felt the Crest of Courage keychain hanging down from it.

"Raindramon…I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye, but thanks for everything, you and the other Digimetal Knights. Now, I have to do things on my own."

Steve's journey carried on for hours until he came across an underwater signpost, pointing him to a town called Oceania .

He was on top of a high ridge and glancing down at the town in awe. It looked like any other town except for the fact that it was underwater. Almost of the buildings had domed shaped roofs, some of them being transparent.

"An undersea city? Hmmm…maybe I can get some directions there!"

Speeding up in excitement, Steve kicked his tail harder as he swam down the ridge. There was a marked road along the seabed, lined with shells which led towards the city.

Steve was just thinking that his luck was looking up when suddenly, a large crate was shoved out from behind a huge rock and onto the road.

Unfortunately, it was also right in his path. And Steve was going too fast to stop.

* * *

"Arrgghh…ooww…" Steve moaned, blinking.

He opened his eyes and found himself glaring up at a brightly lit ceiling. Steve knew he was no longer underwater, and yet, he felt like he was floating.

"Huh?" He wondered, pulling himself up.

Steve realized he was floating in what seemed like a large rectangular fish tank. Judging from the cupboards and other furniture around, it looked like he was in somebody's room.

"Oh good, you're awake." A deep voice spoke.

Steve gasped at the figure that stepped in from the adjacent room.

"Black…Wargreymon?!"

It was indeed the black, armor clad Digimon, just that he wasn't wearing his claws over his hands.

"You sound so surprised kid. Not from around here?"

"Yeah, I'm from…" Steve caught himself just in time. "…an ocean, far…far away."

He didn't exactly want to go round announcing he was from another world. It would only complicate things, and possible get him into either a lot of trouble or unwanted attention.

_Just gotta pretend I'm your typical, average aquatic Digimon. How hard can that be? _

"I see." BlackWargreymon nodded.

"By the way, where is here anyway? Is this the city?"

"Indeed, this is Oceania , a town along the middle sea. You had an accident and I brought you to my place."

"Ow, yeah, my head still hurts a little." Steve rubbed his head and felt that his helmet was off. "Feels like I got hit by a bus."

"You swam at full speed into one of my crates actually." BlackWargreymon told him. "You would've probably broken your skull if you weren't wearing this. You youngsters can only think about going fast instead of thinking ahead."

BlackWargreymon held up Steve's helmet, which looked dented and had its visor broken.

_Geez, what a grouch. But I think I should thank him nevertheless. _

"Yeah, thanks." Steve said.

"By the way, you breathing all right? You had gills and I wasn't sure whether it was safe to leave you out of the water."

_Gills?! _Now that his helmet was off, Steve ran a hand over his head and felt he had a long snout. He felt something else at his cheeks too; his gills. But even through his head was out of the water, he could still breathe.

_Wow, I must be able to breathe both in water and on land! Then the helmet's just to help out. Man, I'm going to look really stupid if I don't know my own anatomy._

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Steve replied. "But I thought this city was underwater?"

"Haha, never been to a city before? Or did you hit your head that badly?"

BlackWargreymon walked to the side and pulled open a trap door built into the floor. Steve saw water beneath. He then turned and looked out a window to see water outside.

"This building is underwater, just that it utilizes a pressure system to keep the upper levels dry. I happen to need it for my work."

Steve felt like a complete idiot, through he tried his best not to show his frustration at not knowing a thing.

"But what's a Digimon like you staying underwater for? Should've you be up on land or something?"

"Well, I lost my old job and I had to find work." BlackWargreymon sighed. "Even if it's not exactly where you want it."

"Erm…what do you do down here?"

"Come down and see for yourself." BlackWargreymon said, dropping down into the water.

Steve pulled himself out of the tank and followed through the trap door, realizing BlackWargreymon probably had something inside that helmet of his which allowed him to breathe underwater.

"Awesome…"

It was clearly a shop, with various weapons like swords and guns attached to the walls. Pieces of armor were also put up and smaller items like daggers and small motors in display cases.

"This an armory or something?"

"Yes, although I end up mostly doing repair work for the Digimon around here." BlackWargreymon told him. "I need to work with fire or delicate equipment sometimes. That's why I need the dry area upstairs. Which reminds me…"

BlackWargreymon held up Steve's helmet.

"Seems like you need this repaired."

"Erm…I can't exactly pay." Steve muttered nervously. He had received some travel funds from the Digimetal Knights, but they weren't exactly very much.

"Never mind. Since the accident was partially my fault, I'll do it for free."

"Really? Wow, thanks." Steve said happily. "You're a really nice guy."

BlackWargreymon just waved a hand as he began to take measurements of the helmet. Steve unclipped his Digivice and pushed a few buttons, seeing if it would pick up anything. He was glad that it was still intact.

"You've got one of those too?" BlackWargreymon asked from behind the counter. "A Coelamon came by with one of those earlier asking if I knew what it was. And that was one thing I was absolutely clueless about."

_Another Digivice?! But whose? Wait a sec…_ Steve suddenly remembered he had been holding on to Sekata's Digivice before being caught in the storm. And he hadn't had it with him when he landed in the water…

"The Digivice! Did you remember what color it was?! Was it black and gray?! Who brought it in?! Do you still have it now?!" Steve began asking, grabbing onto BlackWargreymon's shoulders.

"Whoa, slow down kid. Yes, I clearly remembere it was black. But the Coelamon took it with him saying he was going to try and trade it off at the marketplace…"

"Thanks! I've got to get it!" Steve yelled, dashing out the door.

"Strange fellow." BlackWargreymon sighed. "He talks like he needs it to save the world or something."

The next second, Steve burst back into the shop.

"Could you…erm…direct me to the marketplace, please?"

(BlackWargreymon sweatdrops.)

* * *

Steve moaned in exhaustion, leaning against the wall of a shop.

He'd spent hours swimming around the market square, going from shop to shop and Digimon to Digimon. He did find the Coelamon after a long while, who'd traded the Digivice off to a Crabmon at an antique shop.

And by the time he'd managed to find the shop, Crabmon had sold it to someone else. So, he'd followed trail after trail until it had finally run dry.

"This sucks, I don't even know if it really was the Digivice or not."

Steve glanced at his reflection in a mirror at the shop's window, his first time seeing his Depthmon form without the helmet. He realized he had a Flamedramon-shaped face, minus the horn on the nose. His scales were blue with brown eyes. Steve could see the gills at the sides of his head, moving as they did their job of extracting oxygen from the water.

His orange hair was a mess too, and Steve combed it back as best as he could with his claws. Not like it helped much considering he was underwater.

"So there you are! I've finally got you, you thief!"

"Ugrh!" Steve gasped as he was pulled around. "Hey! What's your problem?!"

He found himself facing a very angry looking Hangyomon (aka Divermon).

"Don't try to act, I know you stole this from me!" Hangyomon growled, jabbing a finger at Steve's Digivice.

"Hey buddy! This one's mine!" Steve argued, holding his Digivice up defensively. "If you had something that looks like this stolen, it wasn't me!"

Hangyomon glared at it for a while.

"Guess you're right. It's a different color. Sorry I bothered you." Hangyomon muttered before swimming off.

"Something tells me he's not satisfied with that." Steve said to himself, clipping the Digivice back onto his belt. "Still, looks like it might be Sekata's Digivice after all. Maybe I have a…"

That was when he felt something brush past him. Instinctively, he reached down for his belt and found his Digivice missing.

"Hey! What the?!"

"I got it! Let's split man!" A voice called from the side.

Steve turned and barely caught a glimpse of two Gomamon dashing down an alley. One of the Gomamon had a pair of square-shaped goggles strapped around his head.

"Hey! Get back here! That's mine!" He yelled in outrage, giving chase.

"Bro, he's after us!" One of the Gomamon said, looking back.

"Don't worry, just follow me!" His brother replied.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" Steve called as he pushed between a Gesomon and Octomon.

The Gomamon brothers led him into a large crowded shop and down an aisle. The one with the goggles kicked at a shelf, causing its supports to come lose.

"Hey!" Steve caught the shelf with his shoulder, shoving it back into place to prevent it from hitting anything else in the store. "Don't do that…yargh!"

The brothers kicked a lamp stand, which Steve had to catch and straighten. Steve rounded a corner and found the two making faces at him in front of a shelf of crystal vases.

"Why you little rats!!" Steve dove for them in rage, only to have the smaller Digimon move away and send him crashing into the shelf. "Oh crap!"

It may have been underwater, but the vases went flying nevertheless. Steve desperately raced about, catching each one before it could strike the floor, wall or ceiling. He was panting by the end of the circus act.

"Dammit! When I get my claws on those two, I'm gonna...aarrghhh!"

The shelf was shoved down onto him, not only smashing Steve to the ground, but the crystal vases he'd worked so hard to save as well.

"GGARRGGGHHH!" Steve roared, pulling himself out from under and pile and going after the Gomamon with goggles.

Surprisingly, the Gomamon just stood there and smile. Steve was almost within reach when he felt something tug at him. Glancing back, Steve realized the other Gomamon had hooked a couple of bungee cords to his back. And the cords were currently pulled taunt.

"OH SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!!" Steve screamed as he was abruptly jerked back, sending him crashing into a whole line of shelves.

* * *

The Gomamon brothers were silently giggling as they watched Steve being dragged away, screaming in protest.

"Hey! Let go of me!! I was framed! Those little pip-squeaks are the ones who did this! I'm innocent!!"

Meanwhile, the brothers were standing and watching, looking all cute and harmless. (Complete with the angle rings above their heads.)

"What's going on here?!" An Ikkakumon demanded, swimming onto the scene.

"Daddy, that big mean Depthmon's been chasing us around for no reason!" The goggle head Gomamon said with a teary eyed-look.

"WHAT?!" Steve cried in outrage. "That's a lie! They're the ones who s…mmuurrghhhhh!"

An Octomon guard stuffed some gooey gel over Steve's jaws, preventing him from saying everything else.

"We're sorry about this sir. This fellow won't be hurting anyone else."

"Should've we check those kids too?" A Hangyomon, the same one from before, asked.

"By all means." Ikkakumon replied.

The Gomamon walked forward and calmly allowed Hangyomon to search them. Hangyomon scratched his head as he came up with nothing.

"Well, I hope that proves it." Ikkakumon said.

"I suppose." Hangyomon nodded.

Steve continued to struggle, uttering muffled cried as the guards dragged him away. The crowd slowly begun to disperse, seeing the action was over.

"Come on you two." Ikkakumon ordered.

"Yes dad." The brothers replied simultaneously.

However, once their father turned his back, the brothers pulled out what they'd hidden beneath the thick fur on his back…the orange/red and black Digivices.

"Cool, now we each have one." The mischievous brothers gave each other high fives.

The brothers didn't realize that a WaruSeadramon was watching them from the shadows.

"The Digivices? Hmmm…those kids may actually have saved us a lot of trouble. I'd better tell the boss about this…"

* * *

_This totally, absolutely SUCKS!! Dammit! Lemme outta here!! _

Steve pounded on the walls of his prison in frustration. Their way of detaining trouble makers was locking them in a transparent sphere until a decision could be made about his sentence. It didn't help for his ego that the sphere was located outside the town hall, right in the center of the city.

He'd been screaming so much that the guards that stuffed more of the goo over his mouth and now his jaws were stuck shut. Even his attacks didn't have much effect on his prison.

At least night had fallen and there wasn't anyone out the point and stared at him in his embarrassing situation.

Steve somehow fell asleep in the midst of his exhaustion and was awakened by a tapping sound. The Gomamon brothers were outside the sphere, making faces at him. Forgetting everything, Steve charged in rage, only to smack his face against the wall.

The pair then waved the Digivices in front of Steve to taunt him.

_GGaarrgghh! Those little…I'm gonna snap both their scruffy necks and download them alive!! _

The Gomamon suddenly stopped with panicked looks on their faces. Steve was wondering if they'd somehow heard him when a huge shadow fell over them.

The brothers screamed in panic as they were snatched up by a long, serpent-like form. Steve barely even had time to react to the WaruSeadramon swimming away as an even larger shadow fell over him.

"Oh, what do we have here? One little Digimon trapped in a cage?" It was a gigantic, ferocious-looking MetalSeadramon. "Ah well, every little bit of data helps."

Steve stared in horror as MetalSeadramon opened his jaws. A bright light began to flash, indicating that he was preparing to attack.

_No! NO! NOO! _Steve pounded on the walls. _This is NOT the way to die!! _

"Ultimate Stream!"

The beam of blue energy released and Steve closed his eyes. He was utterly surprised when the beam didn't reduce him to atoms, but instead blew the side of his sphere open.

Dizzy with tension, Steve pulled himself out and saw MetalSeadramon lying on his side, groaning. BlackWargreymon leapt down and landed beside Steve.

"You all right kid? Looks like I got here just in time."

Steve would've kissed him if he wasn't currently occupied. Mumbling, Steve pointed to the goo at his jaws.

"What? I can't hear ya kid, you've got goo in your mouth."

_Well, DUH! _

"Watch out!" BlackWargreymon grabbed Steve and pulled him away as MetalSeadramon fired again. The warrior stood up, raising his claws. "You go save the kids, I'll take care of this one."

Steve nodded and took off in the direction WaruSeadramon had gone. Apparently, he was having more trouble with the Gomamon brothers than he expected.

"Gargh! Come back here you little pests!" WaruSeadramon roared, easily giving away his position.

Steve followed as he chased the brothers into a dead end alley.

"Grrr…Now I've got you!" The evil Digimon snarled at the terrified brothers.

Steve swam up behind him and put a finger to his jaws.

"Hey mister! Help us! Please!"

_Oh! You idiots! _

"What?!" WaruSeadramon spun around and Steve punched him in the face. "Argh! Grrr! Dark Blast!"

Steve swam down to dodge the dark, purple energy burst and unleashed his Sargasso Drag. Cables shot out from his claws and wrapped themselves around WaruSeadramon's body and mouth, rendering him unable to attack.

Steve spun the evil dragon round several times before letting go, sending him spinning off, screaming into the distance.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" The two Gomamon jumped into his arms and hugged him. "We're so sorry!"

_Fine! Fine! Just tell me how to get my jaws unstuck! _Steve's voice was muffled as he pointed to his jaws, but the brothers got the message.

"Oh, I get it!" The goggle head Gomamon smiled. "Hargh!"

He slapped his claws in front on Steve's face, giving him a shock.

"Arggh! Why you little pip-squeaks!" Steve growled, strangling the Gomamon.

"Hey mister, he got your jaws free!" His brother said. "You just needed a good scare to do it!"

"Oh? Yeah, thanks." Steve muttered, using his claws to pick out the remainder of the goo.

"We're really sorry about what we did to you today." The goggle head apologized again. "It was just a joke…"

"Yeah, a way overboard joke!" Steve yelled angrily.

BOOM!

An explosion from nearby rocked the area.

"Oh no! BlackWargreymon!" Steve gasped. "Quick, I need those Digivices back!"

"Here, please take them." The two Gomamon bowed, offering their Digivices.

"Finally." Steve said happily. "Hey, you two have waterproof Digimon Cards or something?"

"Yeah, here." Goggle head showed him a hand of cards.

"Let me borrow this." Steve grabbed one and swam back towards the battle.

BlackWargreymon was using his black shield to guard against MetalSeadramon's Ultimate Stream attack. Despite his efforts, the warrior was slowly being pushed back and finally, his shield shattered, sending BlackWargreymon smashing into a wall with a cry of pain.

MetalSeadramon stood over his opponent, ready to deliver the finishing blow when Steve came up behind him.

"Card Slash! Offense Plug-in A!" The sections on his arms glowed as his attack charged. "Bubble Bomb!"

"Whoa! Cool!" The Gomamon brothers gasped from their hiding place.

"Rraarrghh!" MetalSeadramon growled as Steve's attack connected with the back of his head. "You'll pay for that fool!"

"Oh really?" Steve taunted. "Would you like cash or credit?"

MetalSeadramon charged and lashed at Steve with his tail. Steve was caught at the side of his head and stunned long enough for MetalSeadramon to wrap around him in a Hell Squeeze attack.

"Now you'll…uragh!"

BlackWargreymon had leapt up and jabbed his claws into MetalSeadramon's side, causing him to let go of Steve.

The pair swam behind MetalSeadramon's body.

"He's too heavily armored." BlackWargreymon commented. "It'll take me too long to cut through, even with my Dramon Killers."

"If I can get him to open his mouth, think you can take him out?" Steve asked.

"I think I know what you're planning." BlackWargreymon nodded, swimming off to the side.

MetalSeadramon had turned around by this time and was coming for them.

"Hey! Over here!" Steve called. "Sargasso Drag!"

Firing off the cables from his hands, Steve hooked them around the sides of MetalSeadramon's head. He quickly swam in circles round the aquatic Digimon. By the time MetalSeadramon realized what was happening, he was already entangled. Steve however, wouldn't be able to run with his cables still attached to MetalSeadramon.

"RRaarghh!" Enraged, he opened his mouth and began to charge up his Ultimate Stream.

"Now!" Steve called.

Roaring, BlackWargreymon dashed out, bounced off Steve's shoulders and spun towards MetalSeadramon.

"Black Tornado!" He shouted, putting his claws together.

MetalSeadramon realized what was happening, but it was too late to cancel his attack. BlackWargreymon cut through the sea dragon's head, separating it from the rest of his body. His Black Tornado then proceeded to rip through the rest of MetalSeadramon's body, tearing it to shreds.

MetalSeadramon's head hit the seabed as the rest of his body broke up into data particles.

"This devil's spirit…my water's faith will purify! DIGI-CODE SCAN!" Steve called out, raising his Digivice. He sighed in relief as the blue data stream flowed into his Digivice.

"Yargh…I'm…back…" WaruSeadramon gasped, dragging himself onto the scene. "Now, you're…gonna…Huh? Ugh oh…"

What he saw was Steve and BlackWargreymon standing over MetalSeadramon's decapitated head. BlackWargreymon raised a claw and waved it in front of WaruSeadramon.

"Dramon Killer…" He smiled with a smirk in his voice.

WaruSeadramon looked down at himself with a nervous laugh. (And a big sweatdrop.)

"Er…hehe…er…I…erm…forgot…I…left the kitchen sink running and didn't turn it off! Bye! Gotta run!"

The panicked sea serpent shot off like a rocket.

* * *

**Several days later…**

"So, how did it go?" BlackWargreymon asked as Steve entered his shop.

"I got a formal apology from the town's leaders, and a full pardon for the mess." Steve replied. "That's enough for me. I heard you were the star of the show through. I saw how you turned MetalSeadramon's head into a wall ornament too."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without your help." BlackWargreymon laughed. "Guess I still have a lot of fight left in me after all."

There was a knock on the door and the Gomamon brothers stepped in.

"Hi guys!" Steve smiled. "How are the two of you?"

"We're OK." Goggle head replied. "Thanks to you guys. And, erm…"

He swam up and handed his goggles to Steve.

"It's my good luck charm, and I want you to have it."

"You know, I already have a helmet. These wouldn't fit well on me anyway."

"Then just keep them with you." Gomamon insisted. "And maybe, well, we hope to be heroes like you guys someday."

"I'm sure you will." Steve patted his head. "Nothing's impossible."

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course." Steve winked. "As long as you remember the promise not to steal anymore."

"Cross our hearts and hope to die." The brothers exclaimed, crossing their front paws.

"Haha, and don't give me too much competition once you guys start kicking butt, OK?"

"OK!" The brothers replied happily. "We've got to go now. See you around sometime mister!"

Steve looked down at the goggles in his hand as the brothers left. They were gray in color with red straps and square shaped lenses.

"BlackWargreymon, you think you could extend these so they'd fit around your head?" Steve asked.

"Sure, but why?"

"I've got a friend who's around your size, and I think he'd look more fitting wearing these goggles than me."

"All right then." BlackWargreymon climbed up to his dry, upper level and walked over to a desk.

Steve pulled his upper body partially through the trap door and watched.

"So, tell me Depthmon, what's that other world of yours like?" BlackWargreymon suddenly asked.

"Huh?!" Steve nearly fainted. "How did you know that?!"

"From the first time I talked to you, I knew you couldn't tell your dorsal fin from your tail. You're from another world, not a sea far away."

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you, but…"

"Don't worry, I understand." BlackWargreymon replied.

BlackWargreymon listened with interest as Steve told his story. By the end of it, the goggles were ready and Steve stuffed them into his belt pouch, along with both Digivices.

"Just follow the map I uploaded onto your Digivice and you'll reach land soon enough." BlackWargreymon told him.

"Thanks again BlackWargreymon." Steve nodded, donning his helmet.

"Good luck." BlackWargreymon knelt down to shake his hand.

That was when Steve noticed the 'scar' on his chest, for lack of a better description. It was something like a black line that made a circle around the center of his chest. The armor within the circle seemed different from the rest of his armor, as if the center portion of it had been replaced.

"This an old battle scar?" Steve queried.

"Oh, you noticed?" BlackWargreymon said, looking down. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure really. I've had it as long as I can clearly remember. I suffered from a bout of amnesia at one point, and I can't remember any of my lower forms. "

"Gee, that must really bug you."

"Not so, I've moved on. Still, someone once told me it looked as if I'd gotten a large hole blasted in my chest and then had it patched up. But I'm sure I would somehow remember such a traumatic experience. It could be something from my past life for all I know."

"You believe in reincarnation?"

"Some Digimon do, but I'm one of those with a neutral standpoint. I'll believe it once it can be proven. It's a wide world out there, and life is about finding out where you belong, what your hearts calls it a home."

"Yeah, you're right. Only I belong to another world, and I'm going to find my way back no matter what." Steve nodded with resolution. "Well, I have to be going now."

"Farewell Steve, take care."

A couple of minutes later, Steve poked his head back in.

"One more thing, what's my dorsal fin anyway?"

* * *

Steve didn't think much of BlackWargreymon's story until he was several days away from town. He was relaxing and taking a break when it just hit him.

Where else had he heard of a BlackWargreymon who got his chest blasted open?

"No way…" Steve muttered. "That one was just a fictional character. Or was he?"

_Guess some questions are best left unanswered…_


	11. Dukemon & the Mechanical City

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Dukemon** **& the Mechanical** **City**

By nightdragon0

"AArrrgghhhhh!"

Janet was wishing she hadn't woken up when she realized she was way up in the sky, falling at a rapid pace. She was back to her Guilmon form, through it wouldn't be of much help.

_I'm gonna ddiieeee! _She thought. _Hey, wait! There's a lake below! _

Perhaps she did stand a chance after all. However, Janet still didn't want to see the outcome and covered her eyes with her claws, curling into a ball at the same time.

Still screaming, she continued until she hit…

SPLAT!

…a large puddle of soft mud a couple of feet away from the lake.

Groaning, she pushed her head to the surface, wiping the mud out of her eyes. The mud hadn't done much for her general appearance, but at least it had cushioned her fall.

Jan leaned against the side of the mud pit and sighed.

"At times like this, I suppose all one can do is laugh. Well, it could've been worse." She muttered. "I could've landed in the middle of the sea for all I know…"

* * *

"Wonderful, I'm in the middle of nowhere." Janet sighed, replacing her Digivice on her belt.

The map feature hadn't been able to locate anything and Janet just kept walking North, hoping she'd get somewhere eventually.

There were a lot of other things on her mind too. Whether Zoe, Steve and Sekata were all right. And the Digimetal Knights…were they out looking for her? How far away was she thrown to?

"Damn…it's hot…" She said out loud, wiping her brow and a signboard.

It surprised her that her first thought was to dig a hole in the ground.

"I have got to get out of these scales before Steve curses me and I really turn into Guilmon."

A sharp whistle caused her to snap up. It had sounded like the whistle of a train.

"Huh?" Janet wondered, looking down.

She hadn't realized she was standing on a set of train tracks. The tracks branched off in two directions and she'd been leaning on the junction sign all along.

"Hey, maybe I could…"

Suddenly, some sections of the tracks shifted, which was to allow the train to move along another junction. Unfortunately, since Janet was standing on the tracks, the moving parts caught both her feet, wedging both tightly as they locked into position.

"Oh no! Oh no! NNOOO!" She panicked, desperately pulling to get her feet out.

Her body was off balanced as she swayed from side to side in the process. It would've been an extremely comical sight if she wasn't about to get run down by a train.

In the distance, she could see the smoke of the approaching vehicle.

"Come on! Come on!" She yelled, tugging away.

Eventually, she managed to get one foot free, but the train was getting dangerously close. Janet looked down and noticed there was enough space between the tracks. Furiously, she began digging a small hole, just large enough for herself.

The train was almost upon her now and Janet gave it one final glance before pushing herself down into the hole. Although one foot was still stuck, the change in position allowed her to pull better.

With a pop, her foot came free seconds before the train rolled over her position.

"Whew…" Janet gasped, ducking low down inside her hole.

Janet didn't notice that while the rest of her body was down, her tail was still partially sticking up through the hole. And it so happened the tip of her tail was accidentally caught by a low section of the rear caboose.

"YYYAARRGGGHHHH!" Janet screamed as she was suddenly yanked out of the hole and dragged along with the train. "This is NOT what I had in mind!!"

After a few minutes of yelling in panic, Janet managed to use her tail to pull herself onto the platform. Glad to be back on solid ground, she gripped the railings as tightly as she could with her claws.

"Stupid tail." She muttered. "The thing's got a mind of its own."

Janet tried the rear door of the caboose to find it locked. Perhaps it was a good thing too, she didn't want to be caught as a stowaway.

Janet examined the rest of the train's carriages from her position. All of them seemed to be cargo transports, tightly sealed up. Her Digivice lit up and Janet held it up, pointing it at the front of the train.

"Locomon." She read. "Machine Digimon, Ultimate level. Wow, it's a Digimon too. Well, maybe I'll stay on for a while and see where he's headed."

* * *

After several hours, Locomon approached a huge industrial city surrounded by high walls. Janet could see large amounts of black smoke emitting from huge exhaust chimneys. All the buildings were a dull gray color, through Jan wasn't sure whether from the pollution or through choice of the developer.

Locomon approached a side gate and stopped to be checked by a squad of Gardromon. Janet quickly leapt off the rear car and hit in the bushes nearby. The Gardromon inspected the Locomon's cargo thoroughly before letting him continue.

"Better not try getting in through there." Janet told herself.

She walked around and found the front gate, guarded by just two Gardromon.

"Excuse me…" She began.

"Warning! Warning! Unauthorized personnel detected." The Gardromon said in a monotone voice, raising their arms. "Only Machine Digimon are permitted in Factorial Town."

"No, it's not like that. I just need directions…"

"State your purpose immediately."

"What?!"

"Repeat, state your purpose immediately or be evicted from Factorial Town grounds."

"But I…"

"Final warning, state your purpose immediately or be evicted from Factorial Town grounds."

"I…erm…" Janet gave the guards the cute Guilmon 'blinking eyes and flapping ears' look. "I'm just here for a tour of the factory."

* * *

"YYYYYYAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!"

Janet flew headfirst and landed in a puddle of mud.

"And don't come back!" The Gardromon warned before returning to their posts.

Janet pulled her head out of the mud, shaking it off her face.

"No fair, that worked on TV." She muttered. "Grrr…I really wanna find whoever's in charge of this damned place and give him a piece of my mind."

Looking back, an idea suddenly hit her. Janet dashed off into a nearby forest.

"So, they want a Machine Digimon, do they? Well…" She looked down at her Digivice. "They're about to get one…"

* * *

"Welcome to Factorial Town ." The guard greeted.

Janet got a completely different response now that she'd evolved into MegaloGrowmon. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she towered over the two Gardromon as well.

"Have you come to join in the war effort?"

_Huh? War effort?! _Janet thought.

"Erm, yes. I'm looking for some work." She said.

"Then please come in and enjoy your stay." The guards smiled, opening the gates.

Janet looked around in awe, at the same time trying to make it look like she wasn't. The whole town was like a factory itself. All sorts of activities were being carried out as Digimon scurried about like ants.

As expected, each one was a machine type Digimon. Among those she recognized were Gardromon , Clockmon, Giromon, Hagurumon and Mekanorimon.

With the exception for larger ones, few of the Digimon made eye contact with her. MegaloGrowmon was a considerably large Ultimate Digimon and Janet knew it would probably keep her out of trouble, provided she didn't go looking for it.

But she still needed to get some info about this 'war' bit. Janet wandered around town for a while until she came to a bar, meant for larger Digimon. Taking note of the menu outside, she walked in.

"House special." She told the bartender, a MetalMamemon.

The tiny Digimon whisked off as he mixed drinks in bottles nearly as large as himself. In the end, he passed Janet a large mug filled with a strange smelling, bubbling yellow liquid.

_I'm supposed to drink this?! _Janet thought, walking over to an empty table. _Well, bottom's up! _

Grasping the mug in her oddly shaped three-fingered claws, Janet gulped it down, trying not to stick out like a sore thumb.

_Wow, it's actually good! _

"Hey there lady, this seat taken?"

Janet looked up to see a MetalGreymon (Vaccine type) standing at her table.

"Yes." She growled, getting the instinctive feeling that the guy was bad news.

"Come on, I think it isn't." MetalGreymon said calmly, pulling the chair with his smaller right arm and placing his larger mechanical left one on the table.

"Get lost!" Janet snarled.

"Hey, we just met you know? I haven't even said anything to you yet." He continued calmly. "So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a dump like this?"

"If you're attempting to hit on me buddy…" Janet jabbed him on the shoulder with a claw. "Let me tell you in advance that it ain't working!"

"That wasn't my intention, through…now that you mention it…" MetalGreymon winked.

"Come any closer and you'll be sorry." Janet said, beginning to get really pissed off.

"Oh really? What's the worse you could do?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"All right, I won't." He grinned. "Tell you what, I'll even pay your bill!"

"Good. RRaarrghh!"

Janet drove an uppercut into his chin, followed by smacking him on his unarmored right shoulder and finished by kneeing him between the legs.

MetalGreymon's eyes nearly popped out as he stared in both shock and pain.

Janet then lifted him up, spun him around in the air and sent his head in a pile driver motion into the table, shattering it and a good portion of the floor as well.

The short fight captured the crowd's attention for a couple of minutes before everyone went back to minding their own business.

"I warned you." Janet hissed, grabbing MetalGreymon's horn and leaning close to his ear.

She dropped him and quickly left the bar.

"Wow! What a girl!" MetalGreymon gasped from his spot on the floor. "Through she could've gone a little easier below the belt. Man! I've got to catch up with her!"

Ignoring his pain, he sprang up and dashed for the door, only to be stopped by the MetalMamemon bartender.

"And who's going to pay for all this?"

"Erm…hehehe…" MetalGreymon laughed nervously, looking at the damaged table.

* * *

"Hey! Wait up!" MetalGreymon called, shoving his way through the crowd.

"I'm not talking to you." Janet growled as he ran along beside her.

"That was a fine one you pulled on me with the table." He spoke, keeping pace with her.

"It was your fault for not going away when I told you to."

"Wait! Wait! Will you just stop for a minute?" MetalGreymon ran in front of her. "Look, I'm sorry. We got off on the wrong foot…"

"Wrong foot this!" Janet stomped on his foot and shoved him away.

"Ow! Ow! I'm really sincere about it! You have to believe me!" MetalGreymon insisted, chasing after her. "Hey, you're looking for work too right? I've got contacts that can get us a place in the main factory!"

_Main factory?! _Janet thought, stopping. _Could I get some information there? Hmmm…this guy does seem somewhat sincere. Perhaps I could give him a chance and try to get a little out of him too… _

"You are right?" MetalGreymon asked excitedly, running up beside her. "Knew it! I can tell you're not from around here!"

"Yeah, that's what I came here for." Janet nodded.

"You have any preferences?"

"I just do anything that come by and gets me cash." Janet replied, trying her best to sound 'in-character'.

"Awesome, then that puts us in the same boat!" MetalGreymon grinned. "We could get quite a bit working together. What do you say? Partners?"

"I'll consider it…"

"Oh, haven't re-introduced myself yet, have I?" He said, offering his armored left claw. "I'm MetalGreymon, but you can call me Jet. It's my nickname."

"I'm MegaloGrowmon." Janet took his claw in one of her own.

"Haven't seen one of your kind before." Jet said. "But the name really rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"

"My nickname's Jan." Janet told him. "You can call me that if you prefer."

"Definitely. Hey, you realize how both our actual names and nicknames go together? You know? M & M, J & J? A real coincidence huh?"

"Don't make me regret my decision." Janet snarled. "But where is this place we're supposed to go to?"

"You don't know where the Main factory is? Never mind, just follow me and I'll show you!"

* * *

"Hey Jet, what's with this war effort they're talking about?" Janet asked as they walked.

"I don't know much really." He replied. "But they're doing quite a bit of weapons and arms manufacturing in the main factory and the surrounding ones. The other factories around are for other stuff like fuel, vehicle and maintenance. Anyway who cares right? As long as we get paid."

"Yeah, you're right. I was just curious."

"Can't blame you." Jet said. "After all, I did find the pay a little hard to believe myself."

He leaned close and whispered into her ear, not wanting anyone else to hear.

"Wow…" Janet muttered.

"Cool huh? Well, here it is." Jet pointed.

Janet looked up, staring at the large building. It was definitely very huge and wide, taking up the entire rear sector of the town. Like the rest of the city, it was a dull gray, with multiple chimneys protruding from its roof.

"Rather than going up, it extends way beneath the ground, or so I heard from Andromon." He explained.

"Who?"

"Oh, an old buddy of mine. He's gonna get us past this queue." Jet continued, pulling her through the crowd at the entrance and over to a side gate. "Hey! Andromon! How are ya?"

"Doing well, thank you." The Andromon replied. "Come for the job?"

"Yeah, and I brought a friend here too." Jet put his unarmored arm around Janet's shoulder.

* * *

Janet stayed around the factory for several days. It was simple work and constantly moving crates wasn't much that her powerful Ultimate form couldn't handle.

However, it did bug her that something seemed to be wrong. For one, the main corridors and common areas were closed to all employees at night, allowing only security personnel. There seemed to be a rather large amount of security measures too, including surveillance cameras and alarms.

Jet had suggested it was tighter because they were handling and manufacturing weapons. Reasonable, except Janet hadn't found out exactly for what. And judging from the constant grouchy mood of their supervisor, a Gigidramon, Janet hadn't been in a position to go round asking.

Jet on the other hand, seemed almost too laid back and easy going. He carried out his work without a care, constantly staying close to her and talking about what he'd do once he became rich.

One night, Janet devised a plan. It was a day Jet and her had a late shift. They were moving crates around as usual when Janet put hers down, shaking an arm around.

"You OK?" Jet asked.

"Ow…I think I pulled a few wires loose." Janet told him. "Think you can cover for me? I'm going to run down to Maintenance for a while."

"Sure thing Jan."

Janet ran down the hallway, but instead of heading to her destination, she stepped into a storage room instead. She'd discovered that the camera in this hall was faulty, allowing her to get into the storage room without being seen.

After making sure the door was locked, she de-evolved to Guilmon and pulled open an air vent, hidden behind some empty crates.

It wasn't easy finding her way through the vents, but Janet had made mental notes of the factory's layout. She was making her way towards the central room when she heard voices.

Crawling to the side, she peeked through the vent's grills to see Gigidramon having a conversation with someone out of her view.

"Are the preparations complete?" The disembodied voice asked.

"Almost sir." Gigidramon reported. "Weapon production has been going as expected."

"And the attack force?"

"Into its final stages sir. The Metal Empire will be ready within days."

"Excellent. Our first targets will be our former allies, and then the rest of the Digital World will fall before my wrath!"

Janet gasped as the figure stepped into her view.

"Machinedramon…" She muttered.

The two mechanical dragons begun going into technical details of their plans.

"Damn, it's a whole mechanical army being build up, vent on conquering the Digital World. But what the heck am I supposed to do?!"

Janet shifted her tail and accidentally hit a loose screw hanging from the side of the wall. It fell out with a disturbingly loud clattering against the metal surfaces.

"What was that?!" Machinedramon asked, glancing around.

_Oh shit! Got to get the hell out of here! _

Crawling like mad, Janet managed to retrace her steps to her starting location. She evolved back to MegaloGrowmon just as alarms begun sounding. While running back along the corridor, she met up with Jet.

"What the heck's going on?!" Jet asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Janet replied. "This is crazy!"

"No kidding." Jet nodded. "I think we should get back to our quarters before the guards start asking questions."

"I agree." Janet said, taking a few steps past him.

"Oh Jan?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like to apologize in advance."

"What?" Janet turned around just in time to see the MetalGreymon's cyborg arm flying into her face.

* * *

"You've done very well my boy." Machinedramon patted Jet on the back.

"Was she, really a spy?" Jet asked, looking over to the unconscious form of Jan bound to the wall.

Multiple restrains had been used to secure her body, tail and especially her bladed arms. Her jaws had been clamped shut and her chest mounted cannons covered as well.

Machinedramon was calmly juggling her red Digivice.

"I'm not paying you to ask questions, am I?"

"No, I…"

"Here."

Machinedramon shoved a large bag into Jet's arms.

"This is…" Jet opened the bag. "Whoa, how many years wager?"

"Only your reward for catching this spy for me." Machinedramon laughed. "Since you've made your fortune, you're free to leave if you so desire."

"I…"

Janet opened her eyes to see Jet and Machinedramon. After struggling in vain against her restrains, she gave Jet and extremely nasty look.

"I will be going now sir." He walked up and shook Machinedramon's claws. "Haven't met any employers as generous as you in a long time."

Janet pounded on the wall in rage as Jet left without another word. She tried firing her cannons, only to have the energy drained out by the metal converter placed over her chest.

"Keep doing that my dear, and you'll send enough energy to keep this room lighted." Machinedramon laughed, pointing at the lights on the ceiling. "Pity, I'd thought I'd like to have a little fun with you first, but I have an Empire to command if you don't mind. Gigidramon!"

"Yes sir!"

"You may take her to the Execution Room and dismantle her, piece by piece. After of course, you torture her slowly and painfully…"

"My pleasure sir." Gigidramon rubbed his claws together in glee.

Janet gulped as the whole wall section her was strapped to was detached and pulled away.

Left alone in the room, Machinedramon looked at the table.

"Hmmm…where did I put the girl's strange device?" He was sure he'd been holding it, but shoved it out of his mind.

It was none of his concern anyway. He had far more important things to do.

* * *

Janet broke out in cold sweat hearing the screams of another Digimon being tortured in the Torture Chamber.

Gigidramon had leaned her platform against a wall outside and was pacing back and forth, tapping his tail on the ground impatiently.

"Let's see." He was muttering. "Should I start by ripping your arms off? That should make sure you're still alive to feel more. Or maybe I'll do your legs instead? And how about your tail? Hahahah, why not all? Then, I can dislocate your shoulders, waist and head too!"

Janet was shaking her head, letting out muffled cried at the thought of being dismembered.

"All excited now, aren't you?" Gigidramon laughed. "Your turn will come soon."

However, the screaming continued until Gigidramon begun shaking his fists.

"Why isn't he dead yet?!" Gigidramon roared, barging into the room.

"Aaarrrghhh! Arrghh! Aiieeee!" The voice screamed.

BOOM!

"Hey! You shot my arm off!"

BOOM!

"YYuuaaaarrgghhhh….ack…ack…"

"There." Gigidramon came out, dusting his claws. "You want someone killed, do it yourself. Now, shall we?"

Janet was dragged into a gruesome-looking room. It looked like a modern version of a torture chambers in the medieval stories. All sorts of strange contraptions were scattered around the room and Janet couldn't bear to try guessing what they were for.

"Hey, Gigidramon!"

Who should come running into the room, but Jet.

"What is it Jet? Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"Oh, I just forgot to return this to you." Jet replied.

All of a sudden, he tossed a shiny object up into the air.

"Huh?!" Gigidramon looked up.

With a roar, Jet drove his cyborg arm straight through Gigidramon's chest. The metallic dragon let off a gurgled scream as his body evaporated in a cloud of data particles.

Andromon ran in behind Jet and locked the door. Jet caught a piece of Gigidramon's head as it fell.

"What's wrong?" Andromon asked.

"You know, he was actually my college roommate." Jet said, handing the head to Andromon.

Andromon shrugged and tossed it aside.

"Andromon, you help Jan out if she needs it." Jet ordered as he released Janet's restrains.

"Jet…" She muttered.

"Jan, look, I know you're really mad at me, but I thought it over, and I realized…well, there are more important things than money…" Jet hung his head. "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry this you Son of a B#&ch!!" Janet yelled, grabbing Jet by the neck and throwing him into her former restrains.

She hit the switch and bound him there instead.

"Hey! What are you…ugh!"

Janet punched him in the stomach.

"Andromon, is there a main generator to this factory?" Janet queried.

"Yes, on the B10 level. It's impossible to miss. I believe destroying it will shut down all the others, if that's what you're planning." Andromon replied. "By the way, Jet snatched this from Machinedramon. I think it belongs to you."

He handed Janet back her Digivice.

"Good, help me out and watch him. Make sure he doesn't get hurt." She gestured towards the tied-up Jet. "Because I'll be back to do it myself once I'm done with Machinedramon."

Without another word, she hurried out of the room.

"Andromon! Untie me!" Jet cried.

"Apologies, but I am obliged to 'help Jan out'."

"Hey! That's not what I meant!"

"Just a minute." Janet ran back into the room and tied Jet's mouth shut. "Much better."

She smiled and dashed off again.

"MMuuurrmmppphhh!" A gagged Jet cried.

* * *

"Atomic Blaster!"

Janet entered the generator room via the large hole she'd created.

"Halt!" A Gardromon ordered.

BOOM! Janet fired an Atomic Blaster into his face.

"That's odd, this is way too easy…" Janet thought as she approached the huge power generator. "No alarms, no guards…"

There was a sudden flicker of movement as a Tankmon on a higher platform fired a missile at her.

"Giga Destroyer!" A new pair of missile both blew away the Tankmon's missiles and detonated the Tankmon itself.

"What the?! Jet?!"

"Hey, don't think being tied up can stop me." Jet smiled, leaping down from the upper level. "Andromon sent a jamming frequency throughout the factory. I told him to get out after that."

"Which is why there haven't been many guards!" Janet nodded.

"So come on! Let's blow this thing and go home!" He roared. "Giga Destroyer!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

What followed the deafening blast was a heart-stopping race against the raging flames of the explosion. The pair flew up the cargo elevator shaft and to the main level. Flames poured out of the doors as the pair ducked for cover.

"Is it over?" Janet asked.

"No, but I think a few more blasts to the factory will topple the whole thing." Jet said. "We should…"

"Infinity Cannon!"

Screaming, the two dove around the corridor.

"Infidels!" It was Machinedramon. "Look what you've done to my magnificent factory! Dammit, it's so hard to build good help these days. Never mind, I'll destroy you both myself!"

"Jan, I'll hold him off." Jet declared. "You get outside and shoot the factory. It should collapse and crush this lunatic and the rest of his army!"

"And how are you going to get out?!"

"Aw, I didn't know you cared." Jet grinned. "Well, get going!"

With that, he shoved her down the hall and blew out the ceiling, sending a huge pile of rubble toppling down onto the pathway, separating the both of them.

"Jet! Jet! Damn you Jet!" She roared.

However, another explosion caused a tremor that made her start running.

* * *

Digimon fled in every direction as Janet smashed her way through a wall. Taking flight, she positioned herself above the factory and let off a barrage of Atomic Blasters.

Just as Jet had predicted, the factory collapsed in a huge cloud of smoke and fire.

Heart pounding, Janet glanced through the smoke.

"Jet! Jet! Where are you?!"

She spotted a large shadow and landed on the ground near it.

"Jet?" She squinted.

A huge energy burst shot out from the cloud, taking off a large portion of her chest armor, as well as sending her flying into the nearest wall.

"Did you think you could get rid of me by collapsing my factory?! I think not, my dear, my armor is more than adapted for that." Machinedramon laughed evilly, calmly walking out from the smoke. "Which is more than I can say for your friend here."

The mechanical warlord held up something that had Janet staring in utter horror.

Jet's body was horribly mutilated. He no longer had anything left below the chest, leaving a combination of wires and flesh hanging out from where it should've joined to his waist. His arms and wings had been torn off, and the horns on his head shattered.

Janet realized that Jet was still alive as Machinedramon held him up by his neck.

The fatally wounded MetalGreymon's eyes moved for one last time, looking directly at Janet.

"I'm…sorry…Jan…" He breathed out a final set of words in a haggard voice. "Get…him…for…me…"

Machinedramon then tossed Jet's body up into the air and fired, blasting what remained of him into a cloud of data particles.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Jan roared in anguish.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining him shortly."

Screaming in rage, Janet let loose a wave of Atomic Blasters. Machinedramon simply walked forward, using his claws to block out each one.

"Let the professional show you how it's done!" Machinedramon laughed, blowing Janet away with an Infinity Cannon.

The MegaloGrowmon hit the floor hard. Machinedramon reached her as she managed to climb to her feet. Janet slashed at him with her bladed arms, only to have her attacks parried. Machinedramon jabbed her in the stomach and kicked her leg, forcing her down to one knee.

The cybernetic dragon continued his assault, clawing her face before piercing his claws into her chest armor. Janet screamed in pure agony as she was hurled into another wall.

She was barely conscious and already battered, damaged or bleeding in too many places to count.

Machinedramon laughed in triumph, slowly approaching his victim.

Janet couldn't muster enough strength to pull herself up. In her struggle, her Digivice came loose, falling onto the floor beside her.

_My world…_She thought. _The others…Jet…I'll never…see you again. No! Jet, I can't give up…for you…not while I still draw breath! I will…find…a…WAY! _

A red beam of light shot out of the Digivice, startling Machinedramon.

For a moment, Janet was shrouded within the glow of the Digivice. In front of her, the Digivice morphed, changing from a D-Ark model to a completely new one.

Its new form took the more elongated shape of a D-3 or D-Scanner, but still retained the card slot along the left side. Two points emerged from the top corners, almost as if they were horns. The screen split, forming two small slits like eyes and a main screen. The bottom, 'pointed' end gained a decorative pattern, making it look like a pair of jaws with sharp teeth.

While the entire Digivice was red in color, the horns, teeth and eyes turned white, while the screen remained black. In fact, it clearly reassembled the head of a Dragon.

_The D-Dragon_… Janet didn't care how she knew.

The D-Dragon moved and attached itself to her left claw, 'jaws' facing downwards, just above where the three fingers met. Growling, she sprang up and fired, her blast sending Machinedramon rolling over.

The sides of her D-Dragon opened up, revealing thin sections meant to look like wings. A multiple layered ring of Digicode formed around Janet's other claw.

She stood up and crossed her arms in front of her body. The D-Dragon's 'eyes' begun glowing and she brought it together with the Digicode ring.

"Matrix Evolution!"

(Surrounded in red light, Janet's MegaloGrowmon body melted away, revealing the outline of a human beneath. Letting off a scream, she threw her arms open, allowing a new layer of armor to form around her body in a Spirit Evolution style animation.)

"Dukemon!" (aka Gallantmon)

Undaunted, Machinedramon fired again. This time, Janet ran and leapt over him.

"Let's see how you take on another Mega!" She growled, folding her arms and throwing her cape back.

"Infinity Cannon!"

Jan leapt over the blast and onto Machinedramon's head, changing her right hand into a lance in mid-air. Machinedramon roared in pain as she jabbed it into the side of his head, leaping away before Machinedramon reacted.

The mechanical dragon ended up slashing his own face. Janet dashed around the larger Digimon, thrusting her lance into multiple places and rolling away as Machinedramon collapsed.

"Give up, now!" She ordered, throwing her cape to the side.

"Never will I submit!" Machinedramon shouted, lowering his cannons. "Infinity Cannon!"

Janet formed her left hand into a shield and braced herself for the impact. The force of the attack sent her skidding back, leaving a long trail in the dirt, but she managed to stay upright.

"Then, this will be your END!" The knight's shield glowed as she raised it. "Final Elysian!"

The concentrated energy beam which shot out punched straight through Machinedramon's body and out the other side. Machinedramon's body begun to break up as Janet stowed both her weapons.

Her new Digivice had strapped itself to the back of her left fist. The D-Dragon's eyes glowed again and its side sections opened. Janet raised it up.

"You vile creature of evil…let this Digivice cleanse your soul! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

Janet just stood there panting as the last of the data stream flowed into the Digivice.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Andromon asked, walking over to Janet.

She was still in Dukemon form and was hunched forward in her chair, looking at the new D-Dragon strapped to her hand.

Morning had come and the city had been thrown into a state of chaos. Andromon had spent his time trying to take control of the situation and undo the damage Machinedramon had done. It would take time, but Andromon was determined to turn the city over a new leaf. Already, many Digimon had rallied behind Andromon as their new leader.

It seemed like a perfect ending, except for one thing.

"It's Jet…" She said softly. "He…he really was a good guy inside. I was so mean to him and I…I never got a chance to apologize…"

"He was my friend too." Andromon said, patting her on the shoulder. "You needn't mourn alone."

"I know." Janet sniffed. "But more than ever, I want to find the people I care about. I can't stand to lose them too."

"Sounds like you've made a decision."

"Yes, I'll be leaving shortly." She nodded. "I'm going to find the others, no matter what."


	12. The Trial by Fire

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Trial by Fire **

By nightdragon0

"Ow…that definitely wasn't fun…" Sekata moaned, pulling himself up.

He was still Vritramon and took several deep breaths to clear his head. Glancing around, he found himself alone in a vast mountainous region. The sloping landscape was dotted by numerous coniferous evergreen trees.

"Zoe?! Steve?! Janet?!" He called out, through not expecting a response. "I hope they're all right."

Sekata thought of using his Digivice and reached down to where it should've been on his belt, only to remember it wasn't there.

"Arugh! Steve was the one holding on to my Digivice! Dammit!!" Sekata pounded his head against the nearest tree, unintentionally snapping it in half. "He'd better take good care of it! But without it, I STILL can't evolve! Well, at least I'm not stuck as a Monodramon."

However, Sekata knew he had bigger problems. He was, for one, utterly and completely lost.

"Hmmm?" He sensed something familiar as he sniffed the air. Kneeling, he scoped up a clawful of soil. "Hints of sulphur. Volcanic soil? Could these be volcanoes?"

_Now, how did I know that?! Must be because I'm a fire-type. No, wait! Not only the volcano, the land is charred too. _

Sekata was on hill over-looking the valley below. He was sure now that he smelt the ashes. From what he could tell, a large fire had swept through there. He now realized the brown patches he could see weren't dried out forestry but burnt out areas.

He ran his claws over himself too, and felt he was still slightly warm, as if he'd used his flames recently.

_Oh no…did I…do that? _He wondered, staring down at the blackened area.

Sekata had no idea how long he'd been out for before he'd woken up on the hill, but the possibility remained. He was stuck in a body he couldn't completely control, and perhaps his subconsciousness had acted up somehow?

The thought of his body moving by itself was unnerving, but all he could think of was running in the opposite direction of the burnt region.

However, even in the bright daylight, he failed to notice several pairs of eyes watching him, their forms hidden in the darkest bushes of the greenery…

* * *

Sekata decided to make camp as night fell. Gathering a pile of wood was a simple task for him, but it was starting the fire worried him.

"OK," He muttered, holding out his claws. "I want just a little flame. Not a raging inferno."

To his surprise, he got exactly what he wanted, a small ball of fire in the palm of his hand, which he used to light his campfire.

Lying down and staring into the flames reminded Sekata of those long, lonely nights he'd spent here, alone in the Digital World. He was used to being alone, but now, something felt different.

_Yeah, different now that I don't want to be alone… _

In the midst of the mesmerizing flames, Sekata dozed off.

However, his dreams weren't at all pleasant. Nightmares of fires, killings and destruction. And in the center of it all stood himself, Vritramon.

He could hear the screams of his victims, those he'd slain, tore limb from limb and eaten their data. Bloodlust…he desired it…he wanted more…more…MORE!

Sekata snapped up, screaming. He felt cold sweat beneath his armored body.

"Not again…" He panted, trying not to lose control. "This keeps up and I…"

He spotted something glowing in the bushes and instinctively leapt away. Sekata was just in time to avoid an energy beam hitting the spot he'd been lying on, leaving flames burning on the blackened spot. Landing in a battle stance, he glanced around for the source of the attack.

He didn't have to wait long as the attacker stepped into view. It was Shadramon, an armored form of Wormmon with the Digimetal of Courage.

Losing out almost immediately to his beast-like instincts, Sekata's vision went red.

"Flare Buster!" Shadramon fired off another attack, which Sekata countered by letting lose with his Corona Blasters.

Shadramon had to roll away as the latter attack pushed the entire energy blast back to his position. The fiery insect immediately got up and bolted through the bushes.

Roaring, Sekata gave chase. He was mad that some Digimon had dared to attack him, and all alone to add to that. Shadramon seemed to run in a straight path, squeezing through the bushes and trees which Sekata tore apart right behind him.

It was during those seconds that Sekata managed to pull his own mind back into control.

_What the heck am I doing? Hey, wait! That bug could be leading me in to a trap… _

No sooner had he comprehended that, he was suddenly caught in a sticky net. Sekata tripped and fell forward, entangling himself as he trashed his limbs about wildly.

"Did we get it?" A voice asked excitedly.

"It's Vritramon right?!"

His beast side flew into a blind rage, preventing him from clearly making out the figures standing around him.

_NO! Got to…control…can't let myself…hurt anyone…RRRRAAAAAARRGGGGHHHH!! _

Flames burst out from beneath his armor, shrouding his entire body. With a thunderous roar, he ripped the net apart.

"Watch out! He's breaking lose!" A female voice warned.

He was suddenly rammed from the side, hitting the ground hard. However, the move had only fueled his anger. Two shapes leapt to attack him, a boar-like one and a four-legged creature with two huge tusks.

Sekata swung his tail and swatted one off. The boar sank its teeth into his wrist, but Sekata simply grabbed it and flung it away.

Yet another Digimon came at him, this one looking like an armored bull. Sekata lowered his body and caught it by the horns, butting heads with it. The force of the bull charging at him shoved Sekata back several feet, leaving trails in the dirt as he braced himself with his feet.

Grinning, Sekata leaned his body to one side and pulled, using the bull's motion to throw him. He didn't have time to celebrate through as a pair of missiles hit his right thigh, forcing him to one knee. It was immediately followed up by someone pouncing onto his back and grabbing him around the neck.

Despite being in a beast rage, the names of his attackers still clicked into his mind.

_Boarmon, Courage armored form of Armordillomon. Sethmon, Love armored form of V-mon. Bullmon, Hope armored form of Wormmon…. _

The paws strangling him were covered in flaming fur. Sekata leaned forward and tossed his opponent onto the floor in front of him.

It was a Lynxmon, which he pinned down on her back and raised a claw to strike.

"Go ahead." She snarled, giving him a fierce stare. "Destroy me like you did my parents! And my village!"

_WHAT?! _Through horrified, it took Sekata all of his self control to delay the killing blow. He realized the reason these Digimon were attacking him was because they thought he was the monster that had gone on a rampage through the regions earlier on.

It had most likely been some innocent Digimon, possessed by the Beast Spirit of Fire, who'd committed the crime. But now that the Spirit had attached itself to Sekata and evolved him into Vritramon, all evidence pointed to him instead.

Time however, wasn't waiting while Sekata collected his thoughts. That painful realization came from something sharp being jabbed into a lightly armored section in his side.

The pain hit him instantaneously, sending him screaming out loud. He was dragged off Lynxmon and pounded repeatedly.

Sekata actually found himself becoming sleepy. His body was numb, and his senses dulling.

"The knockout serum is working!" Someone cried.

_Well, that explains it….urgh… _

Sekata was aware of his face hitting the floor, but nothing else after that.

* * *

"What?! Why do I have to be the one to watch him?!" Lynxmon practically screamed.

"We all have to carry out our duties, like them or not." Shadramon replied.

"I know, but…" The fire cat shot a glance over to Vritramon, secured firmly in place. "I won't stand less than a foot away from him without slitting his throat first."

"That's up for the elders to decide."

"Well, I already know what they're decision is gonna be!"

"Perhaps so, but don't get yourself into trouble with them again." Shadramon warned. "Is it all right for me to leave you?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Get going bug face."

"Humph. Take care." Shadramon muttered before departing.

Lynxmon lay down on the stone floor as the door slammed shut. The cavern that served as the 'jail cell' was lit only by a row of candles, although her own flames gave off some light as well.

It didn't really matter much to her anyway. All the 'rooms' in this series of caves looked the same to her. After her village had been destroyed by one of Vritramon 's rampages, Lynxmon had come to join up with this group. Many other were homeless like herself and had taken up residence in this series of caves near a volcano.

The elders apparently regarded the volcano as some sacred trial area, but she hadn't cared much at all. The 'Trial by Fire', if she remembered correctly. However, all she'd wanted was revenge on the Digimon who'd killed her family.

It had been merely days ago, but a hunting party had been formed to be on watch for the killer and Lynxmon had jumped at the chance to join in.

And now that she had him, right in front of her eyes, a bunch of old rules prevented her from doing that, without a decision from the council first.

"This sucks…" She groaned, turning towards her 'captive'.

Vritramon was bound to a large, flat piece of rock by several energy rings, around his neck, chest, arms, wrists, waist, legs and knees. The ring around his neck was supposed to have a paralyzing effect, meaning he wouldn't be able to move anything below his neck.

Seeing that brought her thoughts back to the fight from earlier on.

_He could've easily finished me off back then, but he hesitated. Why? _

"No…no…get away…" A voice whispered. "…out…of…me…"

Lynxmon snapped up, startled. It took her a while to realize it was Vritramon who was talking, or more specifically mumbling in his sleep.

"Jeez, the bast#&d can talk." She muttered. "Surprises me that monster was actually give a voice at all."

Vritramon's head stirred as he continued to mumble some indecipherable words. His fists seemed to try to clench several times too.

"What is with this thing?!" She wondered, leaning closer.

Just then, his eyes snapped open. Startled, Lynxmon jumped backwards.

"What the?! Where am I? Ugrh…" Vritramon looked around in confusion, before struggling futilely with his bonds.

"Humph, awake at last." Lynxmon put on boldest tone she could.

"You…you're the one from the battle."

"So, you remember huh? I'm surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He demanded.

"I wouldn't think cold-blooded monsters like you needed more than half of a brain at all."

"I…I…" Vritramon stopped shot. "About what you said to me during the battle…it was me, was it?"

Lynxmon snarled.

"Listen, please, just hear me out! What I do…I'm not always in complete control of it. Even of my own body."

"Lies won't be getting you anywhere." She replied. "They'll most likely be executing you tomorrow, once the council's made its decision."

"Execute me?!" Vritramon staggered. "Wait! This is some mistake!"

"Mistake?!" Lynxmon yelled. "After what you've done, you're lucky I'm not disemboweling you and shoving your guts down your mouth right now!"

"Please, can't you at least hear me out?" He spoke in an almost pleading tone.

"You can keep on talking, but I'll never fall for your deception!"

"I'm not sure if I should thank you for that one, but here goes…"

He went on to tell about how he'd once been a Monodramon. He'd had an unfortunate encounter with 'Vritramon', who attacked and nearly killed him when a cave-in saved his life. He'd spotted and touched a glowing object which appeared from Vritramon, apparently called a Spirit, which had changed him into the beast himself. From then, he'd been hearing the voice of AncientGreymon in his head and even not being able to control his own actions at times.

According to him, he'd been separated from his friends in a storm and ended up near here.

Lynxmon kept her stern face up the whole time, although inside, something seemed to be telling her to believe him.

"I guess you don't believe me." Vritramon sighed. "I don't blame you. But just let me say, it could've been someone else possessed by this Beast Spirit that destroyed your village, or it could've been me nevertheless, but…I'm sorry."

The fiery cat glanced towards him. He was her enemy, she'd told herself that time and time again. And yet, what was she feeling right now?

An emotion between disbelief, pity, scorn and anger. There was just no way Lynxmon could describe it.

* * *

Sekata hadn't anticipated it would be this bad.

He'd had his fair share of humiliation in his life, but being booed, jeered and cursed by the entire crowd was extremely painful. Emotionally of course.

But even as he turned his head to look over the crowd, he felt that he couldn't blame them either. Many are quick to judge by appearance alone, and such was true of this community. They only saw him as the Vritramon who'd gone on a rampage and destroyed their villages and families.

_Thing is, I would be doing the same thing in their position. _Sekata thought grimly.

In the morning, he'd been taken to a large cavern, probably a 'common area' of the community. Sekata was brought in front of their council, several village elders lead by a Baromon, a human-like Digimon clad in a shaman's robes and wearing a fierce-looking mask.

Still securely bound, he was forced to kneel and was given the chance to have his say. Sekata told them the same story he'd told Lynxmon during the night. He knew that the chances of that getting him out of this predicament were close to zero, but he had to try.

His final plea had caused an uproar among the gathered crowd, which the council was frantically trying to control. Finally, Baromon slammed his fists on his table and the room fell silent.

The village leader waited until his had the attention of everyone in the room before addressing Sekata.

"Well, judging from the response of the crowd, I believe their decision is obvious." Baromon spoke. "Do you have anything else to say then?"

"No, there's nothing else I can say." Sekata admitted, biting his lip.

"Then our…"

"Hold on!" A voice shouted.

_Lynxmon?! _Sekata wondered as the fire cat pushed her way through the crowd and leapt down in front of the elders.

"I propose we let him face the Trial by Fire." She said. "And let the Great God of the South decide on the truth of his tale."

A lot of murmuring went through the crowd until Baromon spoke up again.

"That can be done, if the accused decides to accept the trial."

"What is this trial anyway?" Sekata asked.

"South of here lies a volcano considered sacred since ancient times." Baromon told him. "It is said that the fiery God of the South watches over the paths within and only a worthy and noble warrior will be allowed passage. The trial is supposed to take the chosen from one side of the volcano to the other within a quarter of a day."

"And if I get through, you'll believe me then?"

"Indeed, it will be through the will of the southern god. And we shall abide by his decision."

"I accept then." Sekata nodded.

"You may begin immediately if you desire."

"Yes, I'll do that."

The crowd began shouting again, but Baromon quickly silenced them.

"I should inform you also that there are no records of anyone having survived the Trial by Fire before." Baromon told him.

Sekata gulped.

_Err…ok…look on the bright side. There's a first time for everything, right? _

As the guards moved to drag him away, Lynxmon came up to his side.

"Hey Lynxmon, thanks." Sekata whispered.

"Don't bother." She growled. "I did that little bit of research last night to save your scaly butt because you spared me on the battlefield."

"Oh, it's about warrior's honor then?"

"Indeed. But don't even think I sympathize with you." She continued, jabbing a claw at his chest. "They say the souls of those who fail will be damned to burn in the fires of hell for all eternity. And that's where I WANT to see you!"

"You can't exactly see me in hell without going there yourself."

"I didn't mean it in literal terms!" Lynxmon huffed, turning her back.

Even as Lynxmon left, Sekata could feel that there was something different about her tone of voice.

* * *

Sekata was blindfolded for most of the way. When his eyes were uncovered, he found himself facing a dark, forbidding hole in the floor. He could feel the heat coming up from it, although it didn't bother him much at all.

"Hey, I have a question." He turned back, facing Baromon and several guards. "I'm a fire element. Exactly how is fire supposed to be a trial for me when I can just walk through it?"

"A fine observation indeed." Baromon said, walking up to him. "But…"

All of a sudden, Baromon pulled a small pouch off his belt and threw a strange powder into Sekata's face.

"Arrghh!" Sekata stumbled backwards and fell down the hole.

While tumbling wildly, he felt his bindings release themselves from his body, but there was no space to spread his wings in the cramped tunnel.

Sekata hit the ground face-first, groaning as he pulled himself up. The tunnel he'd come down had magically sealed itself off. He was on an 'island', surrounded by a sea of molten lava. Other small rocky structures littered the sea, providing a line of stepping stones.

"Damn, why do I feel so hot?" Sekata muttered. "I can't…ARGH!"

A sting of pain shot up his tail. He'd accidentally let its tip touch the lava…and it had hurt!

"What the?! I'm all blue! What the heck's happened to me?!" He cried, looking over himself.

Instead of his usual coloring, his entire body had taken on two shades of light blue, almost like the color of ice. He tried to open his wings, but they felt hard, stiff and numb. From the way they looked, Sekata thought they might shatter if he tried to force them any more.

"That is the Trial part." Baromon's disembodied voice sounded. "Facing the fire as an ice elemental."

"You never told me that!" Sekata pulled his tail up, staring in shock. Its tip had been melted off by the lava.

"You weren't supposed to know." Baromon replied. "You'd better hurry on too. If the heat doesn't eventually kill you, an unexpected eruption might."

"Let me guess, I wasn't supposed to know this volcano was active too, huh?"

"Precisely. Ironic isn't it? To fall prey to the fury of your own element?"

"Just you wait." Sekata growled, seeing his cold breath condense in the air.

Taking a deep breath, he leapt onto the first stepping stone. He screamed upon feeling the heat of the stone. To put it simply, it was like standing bare-footed on a hot plate.

Sekata nearly plunged into the lava, but managed to land his fore claws on a nearby rock and vault himself over to a larger stone. He managed to stop once he'd landed on a larger and higher platform, not as badly affected by the heat.

"Ow…not good." He groaned, staring at the burn marks on his hands. "Not good at all."

He looked on at the second row of stepping stones, which led to an opening on the other side of the lava lake.

"This is going to be a long day…"

* * *

Sekata made it through that challenge with minimal burns. The next set of caverns consisted of moving platforms, being pushed about by the current of the lava.

With no other option in sight, Sekata had to jump from platform to platform.

"OK…" He reassured himself. "You do this in video games all the time, right?"

He found there was an almost natural pattern in doing his jumps. Sekata reached the end rather quickly, but there was where he got a little overconfident and tried to jump over two platforms instead of one.

His attempt backfired and he stumbled. Fortunately, he managed stretch and get his limbs between the last two platforms. It left him precariously balanced; arms grabbing one side, legs pushing against the other and his chest barely inches above the lava.

The heat was unbearable as Sekata desperately tried to push the pain away and think. A geyser exploded nearby, startling him.

Reacting on instinct, he shoved his body forward, executing a forward roll and landing safely on the final ledge. For a few minutes, he lay there panting, rubbing the newly added burn marks on his chest.

"Argh! I hate this!!" He roared, dragging himself into a nearby tunnel, the only way for him to continue. "If I had my Digivice, I could've de-evolved and I wouldn't be in this god forsaken place! Ggarrghh!"

Frustrated, he slammed his fists against the walls of the tunnel as he entered. Sekata had walked several feet in when a rumbling sound caused him to look back.

A huge, fiery boulder had been jarred loose from the ceiling and crashed onto the ground.

In horror, Sekata realized the tunnel was not only inclined towards him, but also far too narrow for him to maneuver.

"No! No! Stay there, you hear me?" Sekata raised his hands. " Corona Blaster!"

However, instead of his familiar red energy particles, shards of ice shot out from his blasters instead. Sekata barely had time to think about that before noticing their minimal effects on the red hot boulder…other than causing it to start rolling towards him.

"Shimatta!!" (Damn it!!)

Sekata turned and bolted down the path. If a Vritramon could look scared, he certainly did now. He dared not turn around, the rumble of the rolling boulder from behind was enough to keep his legs pumping.

Up ahead, Sekata spotted an alcove in the wall. Leaning his body forward, he ran till he felt his lungs would explode. It was his only chance of survival.

_Won't…can't…pant…can't…make it…pant…gonna die…gonna die…gonna DIE!! _

Sekata dove into the alcove and pulling his legs and tail in, just in time. However, he still felt the heat of the burning rock as it went past and smashed an opening in the tunnel's wall.

Leaning out, Sekata stared at the hole, dizzy with tension.

"Damn…whew…Indiana Jones made that stunt look…so…easy…"

* * *

Sekata had completely lost track of time, but he still pushed on, finally emerging into a wide area. Its center was easily the size of a soccer field, surrounded by a moat of lava.

"What is this place?" He wondered out loud.

"It is the site of thy final test." A voice boomed.

The lava bubbled as something arose from beneath it. It started off as a column of flames at first, the begun to form into the shape of a huge bird.

"Zhuqiaomon…" Sekata stared.

_I should've guessed it when they said 'fiery god of the south'. _

"Thou have done admirably in conquering the challenges laid before thee." Zhuqiaomon continued. "But, do thee truly believe to have the qualities to pass thy test?"

"All that and more." Sekata replied. "I'll take on anything, and win!"

"Thy shalt see…"

Sekata leapt back and covered his eyes as the spot in front of him burst into flames. When he looked forward again, he found himself staring at…Vritramon…the actual, fire elemental Vritramon that was.

"Masaka…" (Not possible…)

"Hello my other half." The other Vritramon grinned. "Pity I won't be knowing you for long…"

Sekata leapt backwards to avoid a claw clash.

"W…What are you?!"

"To put it simply, everything that you're not." His opponent growled, raising his arm mounted blasters. "I am your dark side…"

"Dark side?"

"Fear, aggression, hate, regret…" His double laughed. "Everything you are so good at keeping within. Letting all those emotions well up within yourself. I am a manifestation of those emotions, because you are a master of hiding them."

"No…I never…" Sekata stuttered, backing off.

"Still wish to deny it? Remember the guy who once vandalized your bike? How did you react? You couldn't settle for the school's discipline committee to handle it, but wanted to walk in and break his arm. You're certainly capable of that, but your parents held you back. Why? It's against your laws and they don't want to tarnish their family name with you getting into trouble. And you hated them for not letting you have your revenge…"

"Stop it!"

"Your peers view you as strange because you're not as outgoing as they are, and you turned your back on them in response."

"Shut up!"

"There's much you want to do, but always there are 'higher powers' holding you back. You despise that too…and still, you hide it all within."

"Aaarrrggghhh!"

"But you don't realize that that anger of yours carries over to your current form, and results in you unleashing that welled up rage, in the form of the fiery destruction you cause."

All that time, Sekata had been backing towards the lava moat. However, in his distraught state, he failed to notice that until the last second.

With a roar, his opponent charged. Sekata swung to the side and threw his double into the lava.

"I can't deny it." Sekata said out loud. "Those are some of my worse points. I'm no star pupil. I can be pretty rebellious and stubborn too. But, somehow…I have to look at it from their point of view too. Sometimes, they have to keep me in check. However…"

The other Vritramon burst out of the lava, firing his blasters in rage. Sekata retreated slightly and returned the shots, the fire and ice energy canceling each other out.

"It wouldn't be me is it wasn't." Sekata continued, readying his blaster for another round. "The darker side of me will always exist, but I can strike a balance between the bad and the good. Even now, I'm making that change…and that will make me stronger!"

"We'll see how strong your resolution is!" His opponent roared. "Flame Storm!"

Vritramon's trademark attack involved shrouding his body in deadly flames and attacking the enemy with a series of swift rushes.

Sekata dodged the first attack, knowing he had to strike back.

"Flame Storm!" He yelled, raising his claws and waiting for his flames to emerge.

Unfortunately, none did, leaving him posing there looking like an idiot.

"What the?! Rrrargghh!!" He rolled out of the way and looked down, remembering his currently altered elemental status. "Crap! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

A third attack left his right arm singed by the flames.

"Wait a minute, now that I'm ice elemental..." A smile crossed Sekata's face. "Glacial Storm!"

This time, the attack responded, surrounding him within a storm of ice and snow instead. He now had a fighting chance against his fiery opponent.

The enemies clashed several times before pushing each other apart. Landing at the same time, both readied themselves for a final charge as if they were a pair of bulls in a fight.

Sekata however, had a plan. He dropped to the ground at the last possible second, leaving his opponent no time to stop, but trip over Sekata's tail instead.

The double hit the ground hard, groaning.

"You're finished!" Sekata taunted.

"Don't underestimate your fears!" The false Vritramon roared, suddenly leaping up and firing.

"AAArrrggghhhhhh!" Sekata brought his blaster up, but not fast enough.

Next thing he knew, he was on his back, staring at the stump of his severed right arm and feeling the agonizing pain that shot throughout his body.

Laughing evilly, his opponent walked forward and pulled him up, punching repeatedly in the face. Sekata collapsed and was pinned down, with each on his opponent's feet on his chest and remaining arm.

"You'll die alone and in misery because the world despises you!" His double yelled, pointing a blaster at his head.

"I feared that once…" Sekata gasped weakly. "But I now know that's not true. In my heart, the people I care about will fight with me...no matter how far apart…we …are!"

Sekata turned his body to the side, throwing his opponent off balance enough for him to heave up. The false Vritramon fell backwards and pulled himself up, just in time for Sekata impale him with his remaining claw.

The clone screamed long and loud before disintegrating into nothingness. Immediately afterwards, Sekata dropped to his knees, exhausted.

"Thy have great strength warrior." Zhuqiaomon, who'd been watching the entire battle, suddenly spoke. "However beware, thou also possess a great darkness within. In times to come, thee will either conquer it, or it will lead to thy destruction."

"Yeah, erm, I get you." Sekata nodded.

_I think… _

"Go then, warrior. Enter the flames of purification and complete the Trial…"

Sekata suddenly found himself engulfed in flames. Screaming, he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He was screaming until his world faded to black.

* * *

"Hey! Wake up you tin-canned dragon!"

"Urghh…Zoe?"

"Wake up you moron! I'm not in a mood to hear you sleep talk!"

Sekata opened his eyes to find himself staring up at Lynxmon.

"Where…am I?"

"Oh, you're in hell and I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld." Lynxmon muttered sarcastically. "You're back on our caves, duh! You actually passed the Trial and bear Zhuqiaomon's mark!"

"The what? Huh?" Sekata not only found himself back to his normal Vritramon colors, but his right arm was restored as well.

He flexed its fingers just to be sure and noticed something like a holographic image on his hand.

"This is Zhuqiaomon's mark?"

"Yes. It's really unbelievable!"

"No kidding…" Sekata nodded. He didn't know how the Digimon would read it, but the symbol looked to him like the Japanese Kanji for South, 'minami'.

"Oh, you're awake." Baromon walked in. "You have both my most heartfelt congratulations and my deepest apologies for the way you've been treated."

"You don't have to apologize." Sekata replied. "If I were in your position, I would've done the same thing."

"You are truly noble. I see why the God of the South has chosen to place his blessings upon you."

"I know, but…" Sekata looked down. "I've caused all of you harm as well…"

"We all need to move on." Lynxmon walked up to him. "And this is probably the time to start."

"That's a new thing from you." Sekata commented.

"Consider that my apology." She huffed.

"If you don't mind," Baromon interrupted. "Our council would like to hear your story again."

"You sure put a lot of faith on Southern God's judgment." Sekata commented. "Considering no one believed me before."

"We are not perfect either." Baromon said. "It was our mistake."

"Forget about it." Sekata put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go have a chat with you council guys…"

Just then, his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Erm…could I get something to eat too?" He laughed nervously.

* * *

"Wow, I'm stuffed." Sekata muttered, leaning back against his bunk.

After a whole lot of talking and explaining, he'd gotten a full 12-course meal. Although some of the Digimon residents were still uneasy, most had accepted his triumphant return and his 'spiritual cleansing', as they believed it to be.

However, he knew he would have to leave soon. His companions were out there, somewhere in the Digital World.

"Hello? Can I come in?" Lynxmon pushed open the door. "I need to talk…"

Sekata nodded as the fire cat walked in hesitantly.

"It's about yesterday, right?" He asked. "You did believe me the first time I told my story."

"How'd you know?!"

"I sorta guessed it from you proposing to send me on the Trial." Sekata told her. "But I'm curious to know how come?"

"It was after I finished my guard duty of watching you." Lynxmon replied. "I wasn't sure if I was hearing things at first, but there was this voice in my head."

"A voice?"

"Yeah, really weird. This voice just told me that you were telling the truth."

"What kind of voice?"

"Definitely female." Lynxmon continued. "Also, I could almost feel as if the voice had a name. It was a 'Z' or something. Like Zen or Zed or…"

"Zoe?!"

"Yeah, that's it!" Lynxmon nodded. "Got it in one shot too and…hey, what's wrong?"

Sekata just couldn't answer. His face was frozen in its utterly startled expression.

"Hey! Digital World calling Vritramon! You there?!"

"Zoe…" He muttered, lost in his own world. "How did you know? How did you do it?"

"If that happens to be someone you know," Lynxmon cut in. "well I hears Seers can do this sort of thing. They're sorta like psychics or telepaths. You know? The ESP thing and stuff."

"Zoe…" Sekata grinned. "I'm going to have a lot of questions for you."


	13. Alone at the Stroke of Midnight

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Alone at the Stroke of Midnight**

By nightdragon0

"What is this place?" Zoe wondered as she glanced around. "This is creepy…"

She'd come to in a dark, misty forest, lying beside a stream. It was night and there was very little moonlight for her to see with.

"Brrr…it's so cold that I'm blue all over." She muttered. Then, she looked down at her XV-mon body. "Oh yeah, I forgot…I'm always blue anyway. Heh, couldn't they have given XV-mon some clothes?"

Zoe didn't have a particular fear of the dark, but being lost and alone in a cold, dark forest was certainly a cause for concern. It was something out of a horror movie, and Zoe never liked those. Inwardly, she was trying her best to convince herself that she wasn't sacred.

She'd recently beaten a vampire after all, and she could definitely handle this.

A sudden gust of wind blew by, snapping several branches behind her. Startled, Zoe screamed and fell.

"That's it! I want out of here, now!" Too panicked to think about using her wings, she climbed to her feet and started running.

Her imagination began to run wild as she dashed aimlessly, shoving branches away and dashing around trees.

"No! NO! Get away from me!! Help!!" Zoe yelled, covering her ears and closing her eyes. "Sekata! Sekata where are you?! OUCH!"

With a loud thud, she smacked right into a thick tree. Zoe landed on her back, staring up into the partially hidden moon and realized she was at the edge of the forbidding forest.

Breathing slowly, Zoe struggled to calm herself down.

"Damn, that was stupid." She sighed, realizing she'd let paranoia get hold of her.

However, she still made it a point to stand far away from the thicker part of the dark forest before reviewing her situation. Zoe was thinking about whether to try and find some place in the dark night sky or wait until morning when thunder rumbled and rain began pouring.

Cursing, she ran beneath several trees, desperately trying to find some shelter. It was then that she noticed a light in the distance. Hoping for the best, Zoe pushed her legs to move towards it.

The dirt pathway led along the edge of the forest, along to a river and finally a stone path, leading up to a mansion, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

Several of its windows were lit and Zoe assumed there was someone inside. Shielding her face from the pounding rain, she jogged up to the huge double doors.

"Hello? Anybody home?" She called, knocking on the door. "Hello!"

Zoe leaned against the door's handle and accidentally pushed it down. The door suddenly swung open inwards, sending her stumbling in and landing face first on the carpeted floor.

"Thank…huh?" Zoe stopped short upon seeing there was no one around.

She was lying in what could be described as an epitome of lavish. The entrance hall was simply huge, its floor covered completely by a red and gold carpet. Arched marbled pillars lined the ornate hall, supporting the upper floor. A single staircase led up to the second level.

And high above hung a grand chandelier, illuminating the entire room.

_Wait a minute! This place seems familiar…no way… _

Back in the human world, Zoe had been about 4 years old where her grandfather passed away and left her family on old mansion in his will. She couldn't remember much, but she'd visited it once before her father had sold it off, and had gotten lost in its twisting maze of hallways.

Of course, she was terrified then, but she was very young at that time. It happened that this entrance hall looked almost like the one in her grandfather's mansion.

She was so caught up in staring around that she didn't notice the door being blown close by the wind. It slammed shut with a loud bang behind her, causing her to jump.

"Erm…anybody?"

Her voice echoed throughout the gigantic hallway. The door had apparently been unlocked before she got there.

Zoe shook herself dry and considered her options.

The mansion was certainly more inviting than going back out into the torrential rainstorm, but Zoe got the feeling that something was just…just wrong about this place. She didn't know whether to call it a gut feeling, instinct or something else.

However, curiosity got the better of her and she decided to have a look around the 'abandoned' mansion.

There were two doors leading out of the main hall and she chose to enter the left one, which led into a dining room. Like the previous, this too looked like an area from the homes of rich people she'd seen in movies.

Coincidentally, it also resembled a room from her grandfather's mansion, or what she could remember at least.

A fireplace was at the end, with several wall ornaments hanging above it. Nearby stood an old grandfather clock, it's ticking being the only sound in the room. The dining table could easily fit 20, by human standards at least.

The balcony of the second level was visible from her position, although it was not lit well.

She was looking at a cabinet of beautifully decorated plates when the grandfather clock sounded 12 midnight , alarming her yet again. Zoe spun round, accidentally knocking the shelf over with her tail.

"Oh crap…" Zoe muttered, staring down at the pile of shattered plates and glass from the cupboard.

Just then, she caught sight of something through the reflection in the broken glass. Someone was on the balcony above.

"Hey! Are you there?!" She looked up and asked.

However, she could neither see nor get a reply from the mysterious figure.

"Please wait!" She called, dashing out the door back to the entrance hall. The next second, she came back to the dining room and spread her wings. "Got to stop forgetting about those!"

Zoe found no one on the balcony and both doors up there firmly locked.

"Er…OK, whoever owns this house. If you want me to leave, I'll go now, all right?" Zoe muttered nervously, making her way back to the entrance hall.

And found herself staring at the steel wall where the door she'd entered through had been.

"No way…"

Zoe ran around the hall several times until she was sure the door had been right there. She was positively freaked out now and her mind raced.

_I have to get the hell out of here!_

"X-laser!"

* * *

Her attack had been aimed at the wall, but instead it bounced off some invisible force field. Zoe dropped to the floor as the laser bounced from wall to wall and finally ended with shooting the chandelier off the ceiling.

With an ear-splitting crash, many of the glass sections shattered on the staircase as it begun to roll down towards her. Although Zoe managed to dive out of the way, the chandelier smashed into the wall and went completely dark, plunging the room into total blackness.

"Shit!!"

Zoe groped around in darkness until she found her way back to the dining room, which was fortunately still lighted.

"What the heck is going on here?!" She panted, flopping down against the table. "Huh? Wait a minute, the grandfather clock was previously on the left of the fire place, wasn't it?"

Zoe went over to examine it, but couldn't be sure about her suspicion. She hadn't really taken note of the surroundings, or the paintings on the wall for that matter.

_Speaking of paintings, one…two…three? Huh? I know there were two before and… _

Zoe realized the door back to the main hall was gone. She stood, scared stiff, for a moment before running to where the door was supposed to be. In its place was the painting of a graveyard.

Zoe backed away, stumbling over a chair, and ran for the other door. It was locked and Zoe's attempt to blast it open only resulted in the X-laser rebounding and hitting her.

In a fit of terror, Zoe glanced around, desperately looking for something she could do. Both doors on the upper level were still locked and the windows were protected by the same magical force as the doors and walls.

Her eyes fell upon the other two paintings. One was of an outside view of the mansion and the other of a clock tower.

_Clock tower…clock…of course!_ Zoe snapped her fingers. _They love hiding stuff in grandfather clocks! _

She raced for the grandfather clock and opened its casing. Inside, she could see something glittering. Her hand trembled as she reached for it.

And as Zoe grabbed it, the lights went out.

* * *

With a shriek that could've shattered windows, Zoe ran blindly and smacked into a wall mounted shelf. A pile of useless items landed on her lap, but one felt familiar.

A lighter.

"Please work! Please work!" Zoe prayed, flicking the small item.

All around, she could hear crashing sounds and when she managed to work the lighter, she saw why. One on the cupboards she'd knocked over had fallen and hit another, resulting in a chain reaction.

Zoe's heart was still pounding when she looked up, and stared as several luminescent words that had appeared on the opposite wall.

'In the Garden Sleeps a Messenger'.

A chilly gust of wind blew past her right side, extinguishing the lighter's flame.

Zoe just screamed and ran straight into another wall. When she opened her eyes again, the lights had come back on. Lying nearby was the object she'd pulled out of the grandfather clock…a silver key.

The doors and windows were still shut and there was no way a draft could've gotten in.

Something/someone was seemingly playing mind games with her, and Zoe had no choice but to follow.

The silver key opened the remaining door on the lower level. Zoe slowly pushed it open and glanced into a two storied art gallery. It too was lit by a chandelier and several torches on the walls, although not as brightly. The orange glow of the fires gave off an eerie aura, adding that to the complete silence in the room.

Zoe reluctantly stepped through the door, which swung close with a click, indicating that it had locked itself. There was no keyhole on her current side.

The paintings hung on the walls showed various elements like fire and ice, natural disasters like floods, meteors, earthquakes and locations like a hill and a tree-lined road. The pictures themselves weren't intimidating in any way, but the situation certainly was.

At the end of the second level, Zoe found a larger painting of what seemed like the Garden of Eden. More importantly, there was a title at the bottom, which read 'In the Garden Sleeps a Messenger'.

_Please, don't make the lights go out this time. _

In anticipation, Zoe reached for the painting and pulled it down with one motion. Behind it was another phrase, written in bright red blood.

'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened…'

Zoe immediately shoved the painting back in its place.

"God…what's going on here?!" She cried, staggering uneasily.

She could already hear her own knees knocking as she scanned the room again. This time she found a trap door on the ceiling. Without thinking, she flew up to it and pushed it open.

Zoe was abruptly grabbed and she went into a complete panic, losing all self-control as was she dropped to the ground, shutting her eyes, waving her limbs about wildly and screaming till her voice was hoarse.

Finally, she managed to gather the courage to open her eyes, and found what had 'grabbed' her was the model skeleton of some creature reassembling a Pterodactyl. Its ribcage had gotten caught around her head and shoulders.

Zoe sighed in relief and broke the plastic skeleton off her.

However, she suddenly realized she had a rope around her neck. Shivering, Zoe tugged it slightly and stared at it.

The rope was tied in a hangman's knot and lead up…up through the open trap door.

And just as suddenly, she was roughly jerked up. Zoe didn't have long to scream through…she passed out before being dragged halfway.

* * *

Zoe awoke in darkness. She was lying down on her back, but there was a wall above her…and to the left and right as well. Just like a coffin.

_No! NO! NNNNOOOOOOO! _

Zoe pounded on the 'ceiling' with her fists. Multiple cracking sounds indicated that she was doing some damage this time. In a final burst of her X-laser, Zoe blew the coffin open and pulled herself out.

Dizzy with tension, she sat up to find herself in what seemed like a basement.

She'd burst out of a coffin that had been placed on top of an old bench. Around the basement lay other coffins looking similar to hers and a stack of wooden barrels in the corner. The room was lit be a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, making a creaking sound as it swung about.

Besides that and her own pounding heart beat, Zoe felt something else. A deep rumbling…coming from nearby.

Instinctively, Zoe leapt off the bench and rolled away as a large shape burst out from the ground beneath it.

The horrific creature was definitely no Digimon, nor was it anything she could comprehend. It was like an oversized earthworm, which was completely covered in a slimily black liquid.

Where its head should've been split into multiple stalks, like the heads of a Hydra. Only this creature didn't have any definite eyes, mouth or nose.

Zoe didn't hesitate to start shooting. Unfortunately, each 'head' she blasted off regenerated immediately.

"Need more firepower!" She realized, touching her Digivice. "XV-mon ev….urrgghhh!"

The worm creature lashed out with its heads/tentacles, wrapping them around her body. Frantically, Zoe sank her fangs into it, finding it not only had a revolting sting to her tongue, but disgustingly putrid odor as well.

Not only that, the feel of its slime oozing over her body made her scales crawl.

Her effort seemed to harm her more than the creature, which squeezed her harder, causing her to cry out. However, she couldn't get a sound out.

The creature thrust one of its 'head' straight into her open jaws, shoving some nauseating fluid down her throat.

Zoe was almost thankful that she lost consciousness this time.

* * *

"Sekata!" She screamed.

However, it seemed as if she wasn't there at all. Yet, Zoe knew that the Vritramon being dragged through the cavern was Sekata.

"NO! Please! No!" Sekata was yelling.

The other Digimon simply, punched, kicked and jabbed to subdue him. Zoe couldn't understand why he wasn't fighting back. Possibly, he couldn't, but she followed.

Sekata was roughly bound to a flat metal platform and had his head strapped into a brace. A larger Digimon brought out a gigantic battle axe and began to sharpen it on a nearby stone.

Sekata continued to roar in protest until a black bag was tied over his head.

The other Digimon watched as the large one lumbered over and raised the battle axe. He was aiming for Sekata's neck.

"NNNOOO!!" Zoe cried, attempting to rush forward.

Suddenly, her entire body was paralyzed.

And the axe came down…

_NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! _

* * *

Zoe's eyes snapped open.

She still couldn't move any part of her body, but she wasn't in the cave any more. Slowly, the unpleasant memories of the haunted mansion came back to her.

_Sekata…was that a dream…or a vision? _

It was then that Zoe took note of her surroundings...and found herself wishing she hadn't. She was in another awfully familiar looking room.

_Now what? _

Zoe tried to get up…and found she couldn't move a muscle. Not even her neck or mouth would budge a bit. The only thing she could do was strain her eyes as much as they could.

She had been left lying on a bed, with the blanket pulled up to her waist and her head raised on a pillow, tilted slightly towards the door. By moving her eyes, she could examine most of the surroundings.

In fact, seemed a lot like the bedroom she'd had when she was a baby. A lot of things were as she remembered….the door across from the bed, the small writing table in the corner, the closet and the toy chest nearby. And the rocking horse in the center of the carpet.

Moonlight was streaming in through the single window above the bed.

The clouds apparently cleared, allowing more moonlight in. Zoe suddenly got the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

With the additional light, Zoe could see more of the bedroom.

The light seemed to shine down only on the rocking horse, causing it to sort of 'glow'. There was a doll of a human girl on top of it. The rocking horse was moving too, and with the light reflecting off it…it just sent shivers up Zoe's spine.

As if she wasn't petrified enough already…literally too.

As more light came in, Zoe saw what she thought were crayon marks on the wall were actually messages, written in blood.

'Help me' had been scribbled numerous times in different sizes. Another message, however, caused her to break out in cold sweat.

'Your body will rot in this chamber forever'.

Zoe was scared out of her wits, but she couldn't even open her mouth to scream. She tried her best to move her eyes away from the words and ended up glancing down at her own body.

That was when she saw some snake-like shape, curling and slithering around beneath the skin of her stomach and chest.

_NNOO! NNNNOOOO! PLEASE!! HELP ME!! SOMEONE!! HELLLPPPP MMMEEEEEE!! _

As if on cue, the door flew open and a human-like figure entered. He was clad in a white robe and had eight white, feathery wings on his back. He wore a tall hat like that of a bishop that came down to cover his face, leaving only his mouth and nose exposed.

_I'M HERE! _Zoe screamed in her mind. _PLEASE!! HELP ME!! _

The figure studied the room in confusion.

_PLEASE!! I'M HERE!! _

His head then turned towards her. The figure began to approach, but suddenly stopped and threw part of his robe back. A blade extended from the fist of his right hand.

"To hell with you, devil of darkness!" He declared in a strong voice.

It happened so quickly that Zoe could barely see it. Two fox-like Digimon materialized out of no where. They seemed ghastly, being very thin with red fur and black, leather sections covering their legs.

They were a dark Digimon known as Fangmon.

With lightning speed, they leapt towards the figure, who bravely stood his ground.

"Excalibur!"

At the last instant, he charged and slashed with his blade. The two Fangmon flew past him, then broke into pieces and disintegrated.

Retracting his blade, the robed Digimon dashed over to Zoe's side.

"Don't be afraid, I'm going to get you out of here."

Zoe felt herself being gently lifted up. At some point, she lost consciousness yet again.

* * *

"Huh?" This time, Zoe opened her eyes to a much more relieving sight.

She was sitting in the front pew of a church. On a raised platform nearby was an altar. Her rescuer was standing there, although now with his robes off, revealing he was a Holy Angemon (aka MagnaAngemon).

Excitedly, Zoe ran up to him…and gasped as her hand passed through his shoulder. She looked and was shocked to find her arm was translucent and shimmering with a blue light.

It was the same thing with the rest of her body.

Zoe realized Holy Angemon was down at someone on the altar and moved around him to see…herself, eyes closed, covered up to the neck in a white sheet.

"Am I…dead?" She dreaded, staring at her body on the altar. "Then…I'm a ghost…?"

Holy Angemon suddenly looked up and turned in her direction.

"Are you there, young one?" He asked. "Please listen if you are. I know you must be extremely frightened and confused, but you have a very special power. If you can, signal me with it. It is the only way we'll be able to communicate."

"Special power?" Zoe asked.

Holy Angemon continued to look around, as if he hadn't heard her question. Perhaps he couldn't.

"I cannot hear you now, but if you focus and think what you want to in your mind, your voice will reach me."

"Think what I want?" Zoe wondered.

Closing her eyes, she tried out what she'd been told.

_(I'm here!) _

This time, Holy Angemon nodded.

"Then it is true. You are a seer, and that must be why the poltergeist targeted you."

_(What do you mean by that?) _Zoe queried, using the same method as before.

"Perhaps it is best I tell you this terrible story from the start." Holy Angemon said. "I am Holy Angemon, a traveling priest. The mansion you entered unfortunately happens to be one of the most dreadful places in the world. It is said that a mad scientist aiming to obtain eternal life conducted countless numbers of experiments on innocent victims. He performed ritual sacrifices and called upon forbidden magic, damming the souls of his victims to an eternity of suffering."

_(So, that explains the haunted house on the hill, but what does this have to do with me?) _

"You see, these condemned souls despise the living, but of all they hate those with 'gifts'. Like you, who possess the powers of a Seer. For the common listener, better know as a telepath or a psychic."

_(Me? A telepath?!) _Zoe gasped. _(No way, I'm sure you're mistaken!) _

"There's no mistake, my child." He laughed softly. "It takes a while to accept your gift."

_(Even so…but then what's happened to me now?) _

"Your soul has been separated from your physical body." Holy Angemon explained. "This unholy power that now corrupts your body will eventually take it over, forcing your soul stand by helplessly and watch as you are drawn to join them."

_(Then, that thing that attacked me…) _

"A collection of the evil gathered there, no doubt."

_(But…can I do anything?) _Zoe asked, feeling more afraid than before.

"To save yourself, you must face the evil spirits again." He said, looking up.

_(How?)_

"You must battle, only that fighting in the spiritual realm is different. It is the strongest mind and will that shall triumph. I can assist you if you can weaken the condemned souls enough, but only you can face your fears."

_(My fears…?) _

"It is not true that everything you encountered in the mansion was something or some place you were afraid of at some point in your life?"

_(Yes…) _Zoe nodded.

The bed room, the entrance hall, the art gallery, the dining room with the grandfather clock, the environment…it was coming back to her now.

Her own childhood fears. However, thinking that someone was using them against her made her furious instead.

_(But you say that I have some sort of telepathic powers? I had a vision earlier that a town would be attacked, and it was. I had another of a good friend being killed, so…will that…) _

"I'm afraid I do not know the answer." Holy Angemon replied. "I can only tell you now that your physical body will not last long in its current state. We must return to confront the poltergeist soon, or you will be lost forever."

_(But…Sekata…I just have to know.) _Zoe declared. _(I saw where he was. Now that I'm a disembodied life-force…I could go there, right?) _

"Indeed, adding to the fact that your soul being separate from your body would enhance your telepathic powers. However, you cannot venture away for too long, or else you will never be able to return." Holy Angemon warned. "Your soul will be left to wander in darkness for eternity."

_(I…I just can't ignore my vision. Sekata…just leave him. _Zoe decided. _If you could bring my body back to the mansion, I'll meet you there.) _

"You have great courage young one." He nodded. "It would seem I cannot stop you anyway. Please, be careful."

_(Thanks…) _Closing her eyes, Zoe envisioned what she'd seen earlier. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening.

Then, she felt as if she were being carried away in a strong gust of wind.

* * *

Mountains, trees, landscape all flashed by in the blink of an eye.

Zoe found herself standing in a cavern looking very much like the vision. She didn't have much time to think however as she saw Sekata, strapped to a rectangular platform, and a Lynxmon standing over him.

Zoe listened to the heated conversation between the two and saw the predicament Sekata was in. Lynxmon eventually left, and Zoe was tempted to make contact with Sekata.

_Hold on, that's not going to do any good…unless… _

Instead, Zoe went after Lynxmon and found her pacing uneasily about in her quarters.

"What's wrong with me?" The fire cat growled softly. "I have no reason to believe Vritramon's lies…yet…why do I feel…so…unsure? Is he really…telling the truth?"

"He is!" Zoe shouted out loud.

Lynxmon jumped up and looked around, of course not being able to see Zoe.

_(Please,) _Zoe called out to her. _(You have to believe him…and believe me. You have to find a way to help him!) _

"Who…" Lynxmon muttered.

_(I'm Zoe, but that's not important. _She continued. _(Please, believe him. You may be his only hope…uuggrrhh!!) _

A sharp pain shot through Zoe's chest. She realized she had to return to where her physical body was.

_(Please…he's a good person at heart!) _Zoe called out a final plea before she allowed some hidden force to drag her away from the caverns and the confused Lynxmon, and back to the pathway leading up to the mansion.

Somehow, Zoe just felt that it would work out.

* * *

Holy Angemon was already standing there, carrying her physical body wrapped in a white cloth.

_(I'm here!) _She called out.

"I hope you're prepared." The armored angel looked up and nodded.

_(Well, I never thought of myself as an exorcist, but no one's gonna steal my soul if I can help it! By the way, what's the plan?) _

"It's simple really. I'll recite several passages which will anger the evil spirits, and they'll appear. They will attack once they sense you."

_(OK, I understand.) _

Holy Angemon entered the main hall, placed her physical body aside, knelt down and began speaking softly in a strange language.

Immediately, Zoe could sense great clouds of emotions rising throughout the room. None of them were pleasant…anger, depression, hatred…

A thick black liquid begun to seep out from between the stairs and took the shape of the worm creature Zoe had encountered earlier.

"All right, I'm ready for you this time!" Zoe growled. "Rrraaaggghhh!"

Her first two laser bursts seemed to hurt the creature, but suddenly it vanished and appeared behind her. Swinging one of its appendages, Zoe felt a searing pain tear through her left side as she was thrown to the ground.

"Ow…what the?!" Zoe stared down at the wound. It was as if a piece had been literally torn out of her body, leaving a large hole in her side.

"It aims to consume you." Holy Angemon warned, without looking up from his position. "Don't let it! Remember, the strongest mind wins!"

_Strongest mind…_Zoe clenched her fists in determination.

"I'm not afraid of you! Not any more! You won't use my fears against me!!"

Zoe flew to the side as the creature swung one of its limbs and sent a hard kick into its side. Blackish goop splattered all over the wall as her leg went through it, but it twisted its body and hurled Zoe away.

She passed straight through a table and ended up in a dazed heap. The creature was suddenly upon her and sprayed out more of its black goo, splashing Zoe with it.

It felt as if some concentrated acid had been poured over her skin. In agony, Zoe stumbled backwards and was knocked to the ground. She landed very close to one of the walls and the creature hovered towards her.

All of a sudden, it backed away.

"Huh?" Zoe wondered. "There's nothing behind me but the wall…of course! It's strongest within the mansion grounds, the place where its dark souls were gathered. But outside…"

The creature was waving its appendages about, as if waiting for her to make a move.

Zoe distracted it with an X-laser and spread her wings, flying high over it and landing on the other side. She had her back to the same wall on which the entrance door was located.

"Hey you! You want my soul?! Come and get it!!"

The worm-like creature charged.

Time seemed to slow down as it made its approach. Letting off a small grin, Zoe spun to the side (in slow motion), letting the creature fly past her.

At that same time, the Digivice down on her physical body glowed.

Zoe brought up both claws, forming a single ring of Digicode around each one. Growling, she brought both together and crossed them in front of her face. The Matrix Evolution symbol, a pair of red and black overlapping triangles, formed in front of her claws.

"XV-mon evolves…"

Blue light, mingled with Digicode engulfed Zoe's body as it begun to melt away and change.

"…Paildramon!"

She was perfectly positioned, with her weapons ready.

"Desperado Blaster!"

The energy bolts shoved the nightmarish monster backwards….directly through the wall (not breaking through is since it was a 'ghost').

Holy Angemon sensed this, and sprang up, kicking the door open.

"Heaven's Gate!" His wrist blade extended and he drew a circle with it, which glowed and became a golden gate.

The worm creature let off a series of ear-splitting wails as it was sucked through the gate. Zoe sighed in relief as the gate closed and vanished completely.

"The curse on your body should now be lifted." Holy Angemon spoke. "I'm sure you want to get back in there."

"Hell yeah!" Zoe flew down to her physical body and reached out to touch it.

It felt as if a vacuum cleaner had suddenly sucked her in and she found herself, back in champion form, bolting up and coughing roughly, regurgitating the black fluid that had been shoved into her system.

"How do you feel?" Holy Angemon asked, patting her on the back.

"I feel…fine…" Zoe breathed. "Just…fine. After all…not everyone…gets the chance…to fight their…"

She fainted.

* * *

"Urgh…man, I wish that would stop happening to me." Zoe moaned, pulling herself up.

From the surroundings, she'd been brought back to the church again, although this time she was in one of the side rooms, lying on a bed.

"And I can actually feel my own hands." She chuckled. "Never thought I'd be glad to do that."

"You're awake at last." A familiar voice sounded. "I was beginning to get worried."

"Hey, thank you for..." Zoe stopped short as an Angemon entered the room.

She'd been expecting to see Holy Angemon, considering the voice was very similar. This Angemon was probably a friend of his.

"I beg your pardon?" Angemon asked.

"Oh, I was wondering where Holy Angemon was. I think he brought me back here."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. You were found two days ago on the doorsteps to this church and you've been unconscious since. You were in pretty bad shape too."

"Yeah…" Zoe replied, and began relating her dreadful experience.

"Hmmm…" Angemon nodded. "The Holy Angemon you speak of. He is without a doubt my father."

"Really?" Zoe smiled. "That's great! I'd really like to thank him for all he's done for me."

"That would certainly be possible…if he hasn't been dead for 10 years now. The same goes for the mansion, all that's been there for those 10 years is a burnt out structure."

"WHAT?!" Zoe stared. "But…but…I know what I saw! And what I went through!"

"Calm down, my friend. I'm not saying that I don't believe you." Angemon waved his hand.

Zoe felt something beneath her belt and pulled it out. It was a piece of paper with the words 'Thank you' written on it. Wrapped up in the paper was a small cross on a chain.

"This definitely isn't mine." Zoe commented, lifting it up.

"It can only be my father's." Angemon studied the cross. "But father had it with him when he…"

"When he what?"

"Ten years ago, father entered the mansion on a quest to pacify the restless souls which gathered there. However, he never came back and the mansion was suddenly destroyed by a huge fire from within. Still, there have been tales such as yours of travelers still seeing the mansion on stormy nights."

"If there's one thing I know it's that this time that haunted house is gone for good." Zoe smiled. "Thanks to your dad, with a little help from me."

"Haha, you're a very lucky Digimon." Angemon replied. "The Great Angels have truly shone their glorious light upon you this day."

"Nah, I just have a really good guardian angel." Zoe laughed.

"I'm sure you are still very tired from that ordeal, so rest a while more. And I'll get you something to eat after that."

"Thanks." Zoe whispered as she lay down.

But even as she did, her mind wavered back to the thoughts about her mysterious 'power'.


	14. Song of the Salamander

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Song of the Salamander **

By nightdragon0

"W…what? How'd I get here?"

Sekata pulled himself to his feet, glancing around in confusion. He definitely remembered lying down to have a rest in the field, but now he'd woken up to find himself in a dark, foggy and gloomy graveyard.

He ran his claws over his Vritramon body to make sure he was awake.

A central dirt path ran between two lines of various gravestones. With no better choice in sight, Sekata followed the path, which led slightly uphill, onto a white stone stairs and finally to a temple. Its huge doors were sealed shut, but Sekata noticed something else.

Two torches on stands decorated either side of the door. Within the flames of the torches hovered two glowing objects.

"Hmmm…the Spirits of Fire?" Sekata wondered.

The flames didn't hurt his claws as he reached out and took both Spirits, studying them intensively.

_This little thing has been making my life a living hell. _He thought, bringing the Beast Spirit of Fire closer. _I was happier being a lonely Cyberdramon… _

"Living hell is right!" The Spirit 'roared' in a loud voice, its eyes lighting up.

Startled, Sekata threw both away as he stumbled backwards, tripping and rolling head over heels down the stairs. He nearly plunged straight into an open grave, but managed to press his claws against the gravestone to support himself.

Panting, Sekata looked up and saw his own name written on the gravestone.

"NO!" He screamed, pushing himself away until he hit a tree. At least, he thought it was a tree.

Sekata felt a hot breath against the back of his neck.

"I would've shoved you in, but where's the fun in that?"

"AncientGreymon!" Sekata growled, springing up and aiming his arm mounted blasters.

"I'm so touched that you remember me." The ancient Digimon laughed.

"What do you want this time?" Sekata continued to keep his blasters ready as he reversed. "You brought me here, right? Where the heck is this place?"

"I'd define this place as your 'Dream Realm'. Make no mistake through, it belongs entirely in the darkest regions of your mind. I'm just here because you have my Spirit."

"The Spirit…" Sekata looked down at his chest to find the Beast Spirit of Fire there, glowing as it hovered in front of him. "I never wanted this thing in the first place! I'm going back to my Cyberdramon form at the first chance I get!"

Sekata grabbed the Spirit and hurled it as far as he could. However, it suddenly spun round in mid-air and came back, plunging into his chest with so much force that it threw him over.

"Even if you do go back to your original form, you can't get rid of it." AncientGreymon laughed loudly. "The Spirit will reside within you as long as it chooses."

"Urgh…so what, you're going to keep tormenting me till the day I die?"

"Perhaps, but in the mean time, I have an offer for you."

"Being?" Sekata demanded.

"You may have one Spirit, but they say two's a charm." The Human Spirit of Fire materialized as AncientGreymon spoke. "All you have to do is sign below your name on that gravestone and it's yours."

"What do you think I am? Insane?"

"Seeing that that's your final resting place anyway, I'd say it's a good investment. A life-long one too."

"YOU…I'm gonna kick your tail so hard the rest of the Warrior 10 is gonna feel it!" Sekata roared. "Corona Bla…"

"Gaia Tornado!"

Sekata was engulfed by a tornado of flames, which spun him round violently before flinging him to the ground. Even his fire-resistant armor hadn't prevented him from being scorched.

"Aarrgghh…" He moaned. "Nande…kuso…?" (What the hell?)

"My, my, reckless aren't we?" AncientGreymon continued. "Luckily, you can't die in a Dream Realm."

Clutching his side in pain, Sekata got up and started running.

"Remember my offer boy, cause you'll be back." The ancient dragon casually chuckled. "You can't escape your destiny."

Sekata saw a swinging gate ahead, being blow open and close by the wind. He hesitated for a second and turned to look back at AncientGreymon's fading form.

"I'll be here…I have all the time in the world to wait after all." The fire warrior's voice trailed off. "Pay me a visit once in a while, eh? They say keep your friends close, but your enemy closer…"

Sekata threw the gate open and plunged into the blinding light beyond.

* * *

"RRRRAARGGHHH!" Sekata thrusts his arms upwards, shaking the entire tree above him.

"Hey! Watch it!" A voice yelled. A familiar voice. "You trying to kill me or something?"

"Steve?"

A Gargoylemon leapt down from the tree and flashed in a blue column of light, before changing into a Flamedramon.

"Hey Sekata, I thought it was you." Steve said, waving an arm in greeting. "This thing was giving off all sorts of flashes that I just had to check it out."

"My Digivice!"

"What's the magic word?" Steve grinned, pulling it away.

"WHAT?"

"Come on, you know it."

"Grrrr…all right! Please."

"I can't hear you!"

Sekata whipped Steve's stomach with his tail, causing the latter to lurch over and drop the Digivice. He then knocked Steve over and pressed a foot down on top of him, growling.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Steve yelled. "Don't go psycho on ME!"

"Sorry…" Sekata muttered, squeezing his eyes close and removing his foot. "Don't fool around in front of me, OK? I can't always control this body too well."

"Yeah…" Steve nodded. "Well, if you eat me, I'll be sure to give you indigestion."

"You certainly have an uncanny sense of humor."

"Yup, it's a character trait of mine." Steve replied proudly.

"If you don't mind, can we talk about more important things?" Sekata queried. "Like how you found me? And about the girls?"

"Well, both my Digivice and yours kept lighting up their compass needles." Steve explained. "I just followed them around, with the help of some maps I obtained. Man, navigating the sea bed is tough. And when I got back to dry land, I was so happy to have my legs back that I went to Sagittarimon form because he's got four."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you in more detail later." Steve sighed. "It's been what? More than a week since that tornado threw us in all directions."

"Yes. At least you had your Digivice to guide you." Sekata looked down. "I've been wandering around aimlessly."

_And constantly having AncientGreymon-based nightmares._ He added to himself.

Sekata pushed some buttons on his Digivice and began to glow, changing into his Cyberdramon body. He let out a deep breath as the image of the Beast Spirit of Fire appeared on his Digivice's screen.

"Whew, it's nice to be myself again."

"You call that yourself?" Steve muttered, poking his side.

"I've come to think of it as myself actually. Considering how long I spent as Cyberdramon."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Steve reached into his belt pouch. "I've got something else for you too. Ta-da!"

"Goggles?" Sekata stared. They had square lenses, a gray coloring & a red strap.

"Yeah, you know how every Digimon Team Leader needs to have a pair?"

"Excuse me, since when was I ever the appointed Leader?"

"Since Chapter 1, duh! Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"But I'm going to look stupid wearing those!" Sekata protested. "Especially since I already have a built-in helmet!"

"Well, think about it Sekata, the other stories all have goggle-boys. You can be the first goggle-mon!"

"Steve, this isn't a TV show you know! We're in a real life situation here and this isn't the time to be fooling around!"

"Oh, you mean like how you play cards here?"

"I...ugh...erm..."

"Ha, caught ya with that one!" Steve laughed. "For that, you gotta wear em!"

Reluctantly, Sekata grabbed took the goggles and pulled the straps over his horns to the back of his head. That left the goggles' lenses at the base of the horns, where a Cyberdramon's 'forehead' should be.

"It's all about the style, the look and the feel." Steve happily continued, striking a pose.

"I feel like an idiot." Sekata groaned. (Sweatdropping.)

"Lighten up man." Steve reached up to tap his shoulder. "You are way too serious for your own good. You gotta learn to loose up, relax and..."

"DUCK!" Sekata tackled him as a line of bullets tore through the area around them.

"Well, well, who'd have thought I'd meet you in a place like this, ya?"

"It's Beelzebumon!" Sekata gasped, looking up.

"Been a while, ya?" The dark Digimon grinned, twirling his twin pistols round as he sat casually on his bike. "Looks like I get to have a little fun before having to entertain the boss's client. Double Impact!"

Sekata and Steve were sent diving for cover as Beelzebumon fired again.

"Man, I hate that guy." Steve muttered.

"He's going to have to reload some time." Sekata noted. "Split up and I'll distract him. You get him from the rear."

"Gotcha!"

"Come out come out where ever you are!" Beelzebumon taunted, firing until his guns began giving off 'empty' clicks. "D'oh!"

"Erase Claw!"

"Hargh!" Beelzebumon dodged by leaping off his bike, kicking its ignition at the same time and causing it to go speeding off.

Beelzebumon landed safely, but failed to watch his back.

"Fire Rocket!"

"Huh? YYaarrgghhhh!"

His body ablaze with flames, Steve ploughed into his stomach, sending Beelzebumon rolling down a nearby hill.

"Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh Yeah!" Steve yelled happily, doing a little victory dance.

"Behind you!" Sekata warned.

Steve spun round and saw Beelzebumon's bike roaring towards him.

"Oh no!"

BAM! Steve flew into Sekata as the bike zoomed down the hill to its rider.

"That's my baby, Behemoth!" Beelzebumon smirked as he mounted. Just then, his cell phone began ringing. "What is it, ya? Now? But...fine, fine, ya! Always interrupting me!"

Meanwhile, Sekata and Steve were staring down at him.

"I let ya kids off easy this time!" Beelzebumon yelled as he hit the accelerator and sped off.

"Hasn't he thought of putting that phone on silent mode?" Steve wondered. "Sekata, you all right?"

"I'm fine." Sekata nodded, gritting his teeth. "But we should follow him, come on!"

* * *

Tailing the biker proved to be no big problem with Sekata carrying Steve and flying. In addition, the Behemoth bike had a small oil leak, leaving a trail for them to follow, even when they lost sight of their quarry.

It soon led the pair to a large rectangular building. The entrance was a large door with a small security station set up, guarded by a fierce-looking Leomon.

"Hold it." He growled as they approached.

"We're just looking for someone." Steve tried to explain. "And we think he might have gone in..."

"Do you have a VIP pass?"

"No..."

"Are you participating in the concert?"

"Er...nope..."

"No exceptions then!" The Leomon shook his head.

"Just a moment," Sekata interrupted. "May I ask if you saw a Digimon in a black leather jacket riding a huge bike over here?"

"Never heard of him. Now get lost before I call the guards!"

Sekata didn't look entirely convinced, but Steve pulled him aside.

"Forget it." The Flamedramon whispered. "Let's go before the 'Leomon Curse' hits him."

The two drew back until they were further down the road and out of sight.

"He was definitely lying." Sekata growled. "I saw the oil trail leading right under the door."

"But exactly what to you hope to accomplish by chasing the bad guys?" Steve asked.

"Has it ever occurred to you that the 'bad guys' might actually know something? Like maybe about how we were brought here or where the girls are for that matter?"

"I see your point, but I'm sure you don't want to go busting in there right? Innocent bystanders could get hurt."

"That's the point." The cybernetic dragon sighed. "I'm fresh out of ideas."

"It's hopeless." A voice sounded from nearby. "I think we should just turn back and forget about the contest this year."

The duo pushed their way through the undergrowth to find a gloomy looking Lillymon, Stingmon and Peacockmon all sitting by the side of the road.

"Hello there travelers." Sekata greeted. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Oh, hi there." Peacockmon looked up. He was an armored form of Hawkmon with the Digimetal of Miracles, resembling a humanoid bird covered in blue, metallic feathers. "Are you here for the contest too?"

"What contest?" Steve asked.

"You don't know? The Annual Rock & Roll Concert/Competition."

"That sounds like fun, but why's everybody down in the dumps?"

"Cause recently Lady Devimon showed up in the Management Committee." Stingmon told them. "And all sorts of trouble started after that."

"Trouble?" Sekata queried.

"A certain team has been constantly winning and we suspect they're connected with her. Rumors have been going round about them plotting something darker."

"You guys heard anything about some black biker named Beelzebumon around here?" Sekata asked, giving a short description.

"Those guys at the bar did mention something about that." Stingmon nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmmm...we suspect that there's something wrong too." Sekata remarked. "Let's make a deal, if you guys can get us in there, we'll both get to the bottom of this mess, and help you out with your performance."

"What? Are you craz..." Steve was about to object when Sekata stepped on his toes.

"You two secret agents or something?" Lillymon wondered.

"Not really, but we're the good guys." Steve grinned.

"I think we should go for it." Stingmon decided.

His companions nodded in agreement.

"Hey, how bout hearing our performance piece?" Lillymon suggested, pointing to several cases behind them.

In no time at all, the trio had set up, with Stingmon holding a synthesizer & keyboard, Lillymon with a flute and Peacockmon with a set of drums.

"Ready guys?" Stingmon ordered. "1, 2, 3, GO!"

If anyone could've seen Sekata's eyes through his helmet, they would've seen him blink with interest.

"This song sounds so familiar..." He muttered. "Could it really be?"

Excitedly, he interrupted the band before they were even halfway through.

"This is great!" Sekata laughed. "I can be your vocalist! I'll even put in my own lyrics!"

Steve choked at that and everyone started hitting him on the back.

"Are you insane?" Steve finally managed.

"Hey, as you so nicely put it, it's about the style, the feel and the look." Sekata smirked, walking coolly to the side as he whipped out his Digivice.

Swinging his right hand upwards, a singular Digicode ring around the right claw while it was held raised above his head. Grasping the Digivice in his other claw, he brought the two together.

"Spirit Evolution! Vritramon!"

Once again, Sekata's figure changed into that of the Legendary Warrior of Fire, arousing awed gasps from the other Digimon. His goggles remained in the same position, strapped around the rear horns at the back of the head and lying where his forehead should've been.

"Wow!"

"Cool!"

"Show off!" Steve muttered.

"You'd better change forms too." Sekata told him. "I'm sure that security guard back there won't be happy to see the two of us."

* * *

"Well, we got through OK." Sekata whispered, pushing his way through the crowd of Digimon.

"Yeah, but why do I have to be the one carrying all the equipment?" Steve moaned. He'd evolved into Sagittarimon and had all the packs strapped to the back of his centaur-style body.

"Cause we listed your job as 'Equipment Manager', now come on and play the part."

"Urgh!" Steve grunted before his legs gave way and he fell over.

Lillymon and Peacockmon ran over to help him while Sekata moved on ahead with Stingmon.

"Nothing seems too bad." Sekata commented.

"Don't be fooled." Stingmon warned. "And there's Lady Devimon over there."

The fallen angel was having a conversation with another group of Digimon, but as Sekata's party walked past, she turned towards them for a brief instant.

Sekata could've sworn she was staring right into his eyes.

Stingmon finally brought them to a mini studio and locked the door behind them.

"This place we've rented is completely soundproof and it's our private space for the duration of the competition." The Insect Digimon announced. "It's generally used for last minute rehearsals before the concerts."

"Are you two going to be doing all the secret agent sneaking around stuff in the meantime?" Lillymon asked excitedly.

"My buddy here is, at least." Sekata grinned, patting Steve on the shoulder.

"Me? Are what will you be doing, Mr. Gogglehead?"

"Writing down the lyrics for my song." Sekata replied, taking a laptop offered by Peacockmon. "I promised to help these guys out, and I won't leave them hanging."

"There you go, being all noble again." Steve groaned.

* * *

Steve switched to the Digimetal of Light, hence becoming Gargoylemon.

Once again pushing his way though the packed main hall, Steve made his way to a bar in the rear and took a seat. He ordered a drink, trying to blend in.

Lady Devimon was no longer at the location they'd last seen her at and Steve was considering where he should start looking when he overheard an interesting conversation.

"They're saying to watch out for this dragon fellow and a centaur that entered a while ago."

Through the reflection in his glass, Steve secretly watched the two Goblimon behind him. It helped a lot too that he'd chosen a form with particularly sharp hearing.

"The one the lady boss wants us to crash their show?"

"Yeah, so don't talk so loud."

The pair lowered their voices after that and Steve couldn't make out what they were saying. However, they were still using a number of hand gestures and he made note that they constantly pointed towards one of the corridors leading off from the main hall. A little while after that, the two Goblimon left, going in different directions.

Steve then made his way to the corridor they'd been pointing down. It led down to the doors of four small studios, all with their 'Occupied' signs lit. A single, swinging lamp hung from the ceiling, barely lighting the area. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching.

"Hurry up, will ya?" Beelzebumon's boastful voice was unmistakable.

"Yeah, yeah, chill out man." Another voice followed.

_Oh crap!_

Steve realized there was no time to run. He couldn't risk trying to barge into one of the rooms and the only thing that offered cover was...the stack of cardboard boxes and rags at the end of the corridor!

_Hey, Solid Snake did it, right? _Steve tried to convince himself as he drove beneath one of the boxes, curling up his thin body as much as he could. The human-turned-Digimon nearly forgot about his tail, but managed to shove it under some rags just as the figures entered.

By a certain stroke of luck, there was a small hole in his box, from which Steve observed Beelzebumon and a Black WereGarurumon walking up to the wall.

"The big secret door, eh?" Black WereGarurumon muttered.

"Just see if anyone's around before I open it, ya?" Beelzebumon told him.

"Nothin' in sight." Black WereGarurumon replied, taking a few steps back.

He so happened to plod on Steve's hidden tail in the process.

"Urrmmm...!" Steve had to hold his own jaws shut.

"Good." Beelzebumon felt around the wall until he opened a spot with a hidden leaver and pushed it. The biker moved away as the door swung open. WereGarurumon was barefooted at least, but Beelzebumon's heavy leather boots were too much for Steve's poor tail to take.

"Muurrrpphhh!"

"What was that?" Beelzebumon snapped up.

"Was it over there?" WereGarurumon pointed.

_Oh shit! I'm screwed! Come on! Think! Think! _

Steve managed to draw in his tail from beneath the rags as the two Virus-type Digimon approached his box. Beelzebumon pulled out his guns and nodded to WereGarurumon, who lifted the box, only to find a rat beneath, scurrying off.

"Humph, damn rodents, ya?" Beelzebumon laughed.

"Yeah..." WereGarurumon threw the box back down.

Steve had pressed himself against the top of the box and had been bracing himself on the sides the whole time. He silently gasped in relief when he managed to prevent the box from turning over and revealing him. He waited until the pair had entered the secret door before crawling out and moaning over his sore tail.

"The things I have to do..." He growled angrily, flipping the hidden switch as he'd seen Beelzebumon doing earlier.

This brought him into a dark metal walkway, on which he got to all fours and crawled. He halted at the top of a set of stairs and glanced down to see Lady Devimon, Beelzebumon and Black WereGarurumon around a table.

"You needn't worry." Lady Devimon was saying. "I am keeping my part of the deal, but you'll have to wait until after the competition is over."

"What? Why?" Beelzebumon asked.

"What your boss wants so happens to be inside that Disco Light Reflector on the ceiling of the area."

"Ya mean that multi-colored ball thing hanging from the ceiling?"

"Yes." She huffed.

"Then, we'll have to attack the dragon and his buds during their show, ya?"

"If it's so utterly necessary that you must, go ahead."

"Good, sooner the better, ya." Beelzebumon said with a shrug. "But how bout the help you promised?"

"Calm yourself, they will be here shortly. Until then, you'll have to be patient." Lady Devimon replied. "It's almost time for the contest, so anything else?"

Deciding he'd heard enough, Steve made his way back to the hidden door. He was almost there when it swung open and a massive Death Meramon (aka Skull Meramon) lumbered through. This Ultimate Digimon wore a mask over his entire face, along with long black jeans and chains all over his blazing body.

Steve barely stopped to think before he slid along the ground, rolling his body into the giant to trip him up. Of course, the Death Meramon hit the steel floor with an excessively loud thud.

"Who's there?" Lady Devimon shouted.

In a flash, Steve was out the secret door and dashing through the crowd, who'd gathered in anticipation for the competition.

"You all right?" Sekata asked as Steve burst into the room, gasping and red in the face. He also noticed the Gargoylemon's swollen tail. "What happened? Someone step on your tail?"

"You don't want to know. But anyway, I found out a few things..." Steve panted, relating what he'd heard.

"Sounds like trouble." Stingmon commented.

"Is safe for us to go on then?" Peacockmon wondered. "The contest is starting and we're third in the list."

"We're going in, no matter what." Everyone looked up as Sekata spoke, clenching his fists. "If it's a fight they want, then it's a fight they're going to get!"

"But...we'll be in the middle of a performance!" Lillymon protested.

"Ever heard of multi-tasking?" Sekata grinned. "Gather round guys, I have a plan..."

* * *

Planning it down in theory was certainly much easier than standing behind a curtain about to face a live audience. Sekata's heart was pounding beneath his armored chest as he put on his headset and made sure his goggles were secure. Even Steve, who'd gone back to Sagittarimon form, seemed uncertain as he stood behind the group.

The set-up was the same as before: Stingmon playing a synthesizer & keyboard, Lillymon with a flute and Peacockmon handling the set of drums.

Sekata put on a fierce look as the curtains opened and he signaled his team.

_3...2...1...GO! _

As the drums began playing, he saw Steve gasp out of the corner of his eye. Steve had finally realized why Sekata had been so excited about the song….it was a familiar one from the Digimon animation in their world… Vritramon's theme.

Sekata closed his eyes as he swung from side to side, taking the first part of the song slowly.

The crowd's cheering encouraged him to start making more vigorous movements. By the chorus, he was caught up in a whirling blur of motion, letting that and instincts guide his actions. Sekata added to the show by releasing a small amount of flames around his body.

It was at this point that he caught sight of two Goblimon running up on opposite sides of the stage. Sekata calmly continued singing, and as they were about to club him, moved back and let the two Rookies whack each other instead. Grabbing both, he tossed them away.

Further behind, Death Meramon was approaching from back stage. Seeing this, Steve dashed to the other side and pulled a rope, which sent a sand bag falling from above.

The blazing Digimon dodged as the sandbag swung past, and started making 'missed me' hand gestures at Steve. However, the laws of physics drew the sandbag back in its swing, thumping Death Meramon behind his head and knocking him out.

"Ow..." Steve grimaced. "Now I know why we filled that bag with bricks."

Meanwhile, Stingmon seemed busy with his keyboard, hanging around his waist, as another Goblimon ran up to him. All of a sudden, he swung to the side, catching the Goblimon's chin with the back of his keyboard.

The stunned goblin stumbled towards Lillymon, who gave him a hard kick that sent him rolling off the stage.

Peacockmon was at his drums when a Goblimon leapt up behind his stool, intent on hitting fast this time. Grinning, he moved his head from side to side, allowing the Goblimon to hit the drums instead.

It so happened that they accordingly matched the drumbeats in the song.

"Thanks pal!" The armored bird whispered before sending a cymbal into the Goblimon's face.

Black WereGarurumon decided to get the job done himself, and pulled himself up onto the stage. The wolf made some intimidating stances, but Sekata continued as if he hadn't noticed.

This got Black WereGarurumon mad and he charged, claws raised. Sekata bent over as he approached and flipped the wolf over his back. Black WereGarurumon came again and Sekata whirled to the side, tripping the wolf with his tail.

He pounded the floor in frustration before attempting another attack. This one, Sekata dodged too by maneuvering to the side and kneeing him in the gut.

Black WereGarurumon's eyes went wide as he stumbled about in pain. The music piece went into an instrumental section, giving Sekata the perfect opportunity to walk over and assault his opponent.

The crowd roared wildly, thinking the barrage of punches, claw swipes, tail lashes and kicks were all a planned part of the show.

Sekata ended that by forming a tornado-like column of flames around his body, building up momentum by spinning round and launching an imitation of Agnimon's Salamander Break attack. WereGarurumon was sent flying all the way to the back of the hall.

Sekata completed the song without any more interruptions, bowing as the audience gave him a huge applause.

"Hey, there are people who do this for a living, you know?" Steve whispered from behind.

"No thanks." Sekata responded. "Too dangerous."

* * *

Unfortunately, that came to an end when Beelzebumon fired his guns about, causing the crowd to panic and flee the area. The main hall quickly cleared out, leaving just the two opposing groups facing each other.

"Not a bad performance, but don't think I'll go easy on ya!" Beelzebumon growled.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sekata nodded. "Steve, now!"

The armored Sagittarimon fired an arrow into the overhanging Disco Light Reflector, shattering it into dozens of glittering glass pieces. Sekata flew up and caught the only object within...a medium sized-dagger.

"NO!" Lady Devimon yelled. "Don't let them get the artifact you fools! Darkness Wave!"

The dark witch unleashed a swarm of bats.

"Corona Blaster!" Sekata retaliated, firing his arm-mounted lasers to keep the bats at bay.

"You guys better scram." Steve told their three musician companions. "Things are gonna get ugly around here."

"Not a chance." Stingmon replied, shaking his head. "Don't think that you're the only ones who can kick butt around here!"

"Death Meramon! Get them!" Lady Devimon ordered, still busy with Sekata.

"Heavy Metal Fire!" The giant formed several large fireballs in his hands and hurled them at Steve's group, who fled in different directions.

"Judgment Arrow!" Steve let an arrow fly.

Death Meramon pulled out a set of chains and smashed Steve's arrow with them. He suddenly dashed over to Steve, barging the Sagittarimon to the floor.

"Moon Shooter!" Stingmon let loose an energy burst from his gauntlet. Unfortunately, only to have the fiery giant deflect the attack with his chains. "Damn, how can that big ass be so fast?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Lillymon had moved away from the fighting, only to encounter Black WereGarurumon.

"Hey there pretty lady." The wolf snickered, grabbing her from behind.

"Let go of me this instant you pervert!" She yelled. "Or you're gonna get it! I know Karate!"

"Ooohhh! I'm sooooo scared!"

"That's it! Hiiyyarr!" Lillymon stomped on his foot, whirled around and kicked him in stomach.

"Arruughh..." Black WereGarurumon moaned, stumbling. "Not again..."

"Excuse me..." The fairy tugged at his shorts.

"Huh? OWWW!"

Lillymon jabbed him in the eyes. Snapping into a fighting stance, she sent a fray of punches into his lower jaw (having to jump to do that), followed by a back thrust which sent him crashing through the wall and flying off into the distance.

"Humph." She huffed, dusting her hands. "I didn't tell you I was a black belt, did I?"

* * *

"I bet he can't respond to multiple attacks from different directions." Peacockmon whispered.

"Good idea." Steve nodded. "Let's spread out!"

The three guys evaded another of Death Meramon's fireball assaults as they took their positions.

"Meteor Gallop!"

Steve charged, his centaur body creating a red trail of energy as he rammed Death Meramon. The giant raised his arms to block, and grabbed Steve, squeezing him hard.

"Spiking Finish!" Stingmon extended the purple blades at his wrists and stabbed Death Meramon in the back, causing him to release Steve.

"Rainbow Shower!" Peacockmon spread his wings and sent off a 7-colored beam from them, hitting Death Meramon while he was stunned.

Steve kicked the fiery monster away with his front pair of legs and leapt backwards.

"Everyone! Now! Judgment Arrow!"

"Moon Shooter!"

"Rainbow Shower!"

Death Meramon was hit from all three sides, blasting him into a cloud of data particles.

"This devil's spirit…" Steve raised his Digivice. "My galloping hope will purify! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

* * *

"Darkness Wave!"

"Flame Storm!" Sekata unleashed the fires from within his body, burning the swarm of bats to a crisp.

"Leave em' to me lady, ya?" Beelzebumon ran forward, firing his dual pistols.

There was enough space in the large hall and Sekata flew up, flying in circles to avoid the bullets.

"Ha! Got ya now pal!" Beelzebumon laughed, firing as Sekata flew past a pillar.

"No you moron! Stop it!" Lady Devimon ordered.

A little too late, Beelzebumon realized that Sekata had led him to not only to carve a large 'square' out of the ceiling, but blow out the pillar supporting that section as well.

"Oops..." Beelzebumon muttered, glancing up at the falling ceiling. "This is gonna hurt..."

SPLAT!

"At least you can say that you brought the house down." Sekata grinned. "Ggaarrghh!"

The dragon dropped to the ground, finding a large dagger stuck in his thigh.

"That poison will sting, but it's not lethal." Lady Devimon told him. "Hand over the Dragon Dagger and I'll make your end quick."

"Gurgh..." Sekata grimaced, ripping the throwing dagger out of his leg.

Lady Devimon flew over and clawed him in the face, sending him rolling backwards, reverting to Cyberdramon form.

"All right! I surrender!" Sekata raised his arms. "But you want your dagger? Go fetch! Steve!"

"Pathetic!" Lady Devimon mocked as he tossed the dagger.

Steve was much too far away to reach it and Lady Devimon caught it first...only to find it was her own poison tipped dagger.

"What the?"

"Erase Claw!"

The evil witch let off a final scream as Sekata's energy blast tore through her back. Sekata had his Digivice all ready for her data.

"This spirit in damnation…my dragon soul redeems! DIGI-CODE SCAN!"

After which, the black dragon dropped to both knees in exhaustion. His friends were waving from the other side of the room when a sudden loud roar interrupted them.

Beelzebumon's bike, the Behemoth, smashed through another wall. Sekata barely made it out of the way as it roared past, going towards its master, who was pulling himself out of the rubble.

"You're not getting away!" Sekata roared, taking flight.

Beelzebumon swung himself onto the bike and managed to get a shot off, straight into Sekata's left shoulder. However, it didn't stop Sekata from colliding with him. A furious wrestling match ensued between the two as the bike sped off.

"HEY Sekata!" Steve screamed. "What are you...?"

Sekata was out of earshot before the sentence was complete. Unbeknown to him, the Dragon Dagger had also slipped out of his belt during the struggle.

"Get off ma bike, ya!" Beelzebumon gasped as best as he could with one of Sekata's hands over his throat.

"Not...on your life!" Sekata retorted, in a similar situation.

Going out of control, the bike sped through the forest until it hit a tree root, sending the pair flying. Sekata managed to right himself in mid-air and turned around to attack.

Unfortunately, a thick tree branch smacked the back of his neck. The last thing he remembered was landing in the cold, fast-moving river with a loud splash.


	15. Secret of the Summoning

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Secret of the Summoning **

By nightdragon0

"Wow, the winds are really strong!" Zoe yelled.

"They're not usually this bad!" An Angemon known as Michael replied. "Be careful and don't let your wings get caught!"

Following her ordeal at the haunted mansion, the Angemon had given Zoe a place to stay as she recovered. During that time, Zoe had discussed her telepathic abilities with him. Michael had suggested upon her coming to his home town, where she could possibly learn more.

Unfortunately, he hadn't mentioned that that path involved a trek up a steep and rocky mountain. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, but some fierce winds had been brewing up, making flying precarious in close quarters to the mountain range.

"It should be round the next bend!" Michael called over the howling winds.

"That's what you said the last time!"

All of a sudden, an even louder roar interrupted them. That was followed by an explosion on a part of the mountain below them.

"What the?!" Zoe gasped. "Look down there!"

"It's a Devidramon!" Her companion exclaimed, glancing at the large black shape. "But how did it get up here? More importantly, what's it doing?!"

"I think it's attacking something!"

Zoe could make out several other red bursts of energy belonging to another Digimon, but the devil dragon's body obscured most of her view. It also seemed to have the smaller Digimon clasped in its claws. One thing she did know however...she had to help.

Ignoring Michael's protests, Zoe spread her wings and leapt over the edge. By some stroke of luck, the winds had changed direction, blowing in the direction she actually wanted to go.

"GGarghh! Raagghh!! Help!!" The cries of the Devidramon's victim reached Zoe.

Only at the moment, when she started attacking did Zoe realize the voice was strikingly familiar.

"X-laser!"

The attack connected with Devidramon's shoulder, causing it to turn its head and roar furiously at Zoe. Unfortunately, it had also turned its back on its former prey.

"Fireball!"

Zoe took advantage of the distraction and swung both fists, knocking the Devidramon off its perch and down to the levels below. However, she now found herself hovering over a familiar Guilmon.

"Jan?!"

"Well, who else would I be...erm, never mind, scratch that." Janet muttered, looking down at herself.

"Yeah, I feel the same way." Zoe sighed, landing beside her friend. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Some idiot misdirected me to the 'nearest' town. But I should be asking you the same..."

"Heaven's Knuckle!"

The holy based attack flew past the pair and hit Devidramon's face, who'd suddenly popped up again.

"Thanks!" Zoe panted as the Angemon flew down to join them.

"I hate to break up your reunion girls, but how about we take care of him first?"

"Here he comes again!" Janet warned.

The persistent dragon rose yet again, firing off a set of red lasers from its multiple eyes. The trio scattered to avoid the blast, but the options were limited for Jan, not being able to fly.

"Yargghh!" Screaming, she slipped off the ledge, disappearing into the cloud of dust the explosion had stirred up.

"Jan!" Zoe yelled in panic. She needn't have worried through.

"Guilmon evolves…Growlmon!"

The smoke cleared to reveal the larger, evolved form of Guilmon clinging to the wall by digging her claws in deep.

"All right pal, payback time! Exhaust Flame!"

Although Devidramon managed to avoid the full force of the fiery blast, it was still sent flying backwards. Enraged, it realigned itself and prepared for another round.

Michael and Zoe rushed in, but were forced to move as it began lashing about wildly with its claws.

"Jan, watch out!" Zoe screamed.

"Ugh oh!" Janet couldn't exactly maneuver well from her awkward position, leaving only one option. "Rrrraagghhh!"

With a thunderous roar, she leapt right at Devidramon, grasping him tightly around the neck and shoulders. Even with her opponent struggling and jerking about, Janet managed to pull herself onto his back, holding the demon dragon in a chokehold.

"We can't shoot or we might hit your friend." Michael muttered, intently watching the mid-air wrestling match.

"Damn!" Zoe shouted.

In desperation, Devidramon swung from side to side, slamming its back, and Janet, into the side of the mountain. Even as pain shot throughout her entire body, Jan managed to free one hand and claw the creature in one of its many eyes. Resorting to wild instinct, she bit down on its shoulder at the same time.

"Over here!" Zoe called, stretching out her arms.

Janet reverted to Rookie form as she leapt towards Zoe. The devil dragon's body finally fell limp and plummeted out of sight, towards the ground below.

"Whew, that was a close one!" Zoe panted, hovering in place.

"Yeah..." Janet nodded. "But do you mind NOT holding me by my tail?!"

* * *

"Wow..." Zoe muttered, holding Janet's hand to look at her new Digivice. "Hard to believe that you actually went to Mega Level."

The red D-Dragon, as its name suggested, reassembled a dragon's head. It had two white 'eyes' and a screen where the 'dragon's' open mouth should've been, appropriately decorated with a jaw/teeth pattern. The dragon's jaws pointed towards the fingers as it was secured to the back of Jan's left hand.

"It was a wild experience, I'd say." Janet laughed. "Even my Digivice got a new form. But..."

"But what? You look rather concerned."

"Look at this." She showed Zoe an image of 4 black triangles on her screen. One was in the center, pointed downwards, and the other three at each of its points. "It seems to keep popping up on every now and then."

"Isn't that the symbol on your chest?"

"Yeah, and on most of my higher forms too. I'm sure it's supposed to mean something, but I can't really remember." Janet sighed.

"We should have plenty of time to discuss that later." Michael said, walking around the bend and pointing further ahead. "We're here. This is my hometown."

The two girls could only stare with their mouths wide open. Both had been told that it was a city of angel type Digimon, but seeing it personally was certainly another thing.

The city looked as if it had been built into the clouds themselves, rightly so being so high up on the mountains. A large golden gate lay up ahead, and behind it, huge temples and other white buildings were clearly visible. The closest thing Zoe could compare it to was the thought of the 'Gateway to Heaven'.

"Hey!" Michael walked up, waving to the two Angemon standing at the gate.

"Welcome home brother." One of the guards greeted. "How have you fared?"

"Aye, had my ups and downs, but I'm going strong. By the way, I have some friends here with me..." Michael gestured. "And I was hoping that..."

"Look at the red one." One of the guards pointed. "Isn't that...?"

"It is!" The other yelled, both guards suddenly raising their staffs.

"What?!" Zoe and Janet were both stunned.

"Wait! Those are my friends! What is this about?!" Michael demanded.

"Stop!" A deep voice ordered. "Just because of the actions of a certain individual is no reason to discriminate against the rest of a race."

The new figure was clad in a grand set of silver and green armor, with 10 golden angelic wings on his back.

"Lord Seraphimon!" The angels gasped, stepping aside.

"They were just doing their job. I apologize for the trouble caused." Seraphimon spoke, approaching the girls.

"Luckily you came at the right time." Janet nodded.

"Indeed young lady. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you might not be too popular here. A certain Digimon has recently been causing trouble in the city, and its description so happen to reassemble you."

"Oh, that's just great." Janet sighed. "This is some way to stroll into town for the first time."

"Erm, excuse me sir, but I suppose you're in charge, right?" Zoe asked.

"Haha, I suppose you could say that." The armored figure chuckled. "I believe too, that you, the Digivice bearers, have many questions."

"H...How did you know?!"

"I observed your battle from afar." Seraphimon replied. "However, we should not talk here. Please, come to the palace and I will do my best to answer your questions."

* * *

The town was populated by many forms of angel-like or holy-beast type Digimon, including Angemon, Angewomon, Piddomon (a re-colored Angemon with pink robes instead), Rapidmon, Pegasusmon, Nefertimon and Gatomon.

Michael left the group partway, wanting to visit some friends now that he was back home again.

"It's really amazing." Zoe gasped as they walked.

"Hey look." Janet pointed. "Why is that Patamon wearing a pink belt?"

"Dunno...trying to make a fashion statement?"

"Don't be mislead." Seraphimon told them. "Our lands are far from being peaceful. As representatives of the Great Angels, it is our sacred duty to protect this realm from the forces of the Underworld."

Soon, they were led through another set of gates, past a large fountain with a dragon statue in the center, and into a huge, crystal palace.

Seraphimon offered the pair a seat in a meeting room and stepped up to a screen.

"Would you like to begin, or shall I?"

"You called us the Digivice bearers." Zoe said. "Besides the obvious, what significance does that really have?"

"That would take us back way into the history of our Digital World." Seraphimon answered, flicking the screen on. Images began flashing past as he spoke. "Conflict in the Digital World has been a never-ending struggle between the forces of light and darkness. Periods of peace come and go, as do periods of war and hardship."

"But, what does that have to do with us?"

"Allow me to explain further. It bring us to a timeless eternity termed CHAOS, simply a 'dark force' with no physical form or body has been the cause behind everything."

"No physical form?" Janet muttered.

"We ourselves are still unclear about this. However, rumors say it is a collection of 'energy', dark emotions, evil desires and lost souls, that has corrupted many, bending them to do its bidding."

"Why not destroy it then?"

"Because it has never been found." Seraphimon sighed. "It has been said that it's trapped in a dimension between the many panes of existence. However, throughout the ages, many groups of brave warriors have always risen to challenge the dark forces: those supposedly corrupted by the CHAOS, hoping to also vanquish the CHAOS with them."

"I guess it hasn't worked, right?"

"Only to a certain degree. These brave souls have done everything but destroy the CHAOS itself. Amongst the most renowned of these tales are the Legend of the Warrior 10 and the Story of Omegamon."

_Coincidental that he mentions the two legends most related to us. _Zoe thought. _Guess Aero V-dramon and the Digimetal Knights are in this business too. _

However, it was Janet, having similar thoughts, who spoke up first.

"Omegamon...he's apparently the one who called us into this world." Janet said, giving Zoe a nod. "What's the scoop about him?"

"They say that he was the first and lone warrior who came closest to eliminating the CHAOS forever. He drove the CHAOS from the Digital World, followed it through dimensions and into the depths of its abyss, never to be heard from again. However, the legend goes that he remains there to battle the CHAOS, preventing it from rising into the Digital World again, until the chosen ones arrive to truly defeat CHAOS once and for all. And those chosen ones would be bearers of the Holy Digivices."

"You must be kidding, right?!" Janet burst out. "We're just a bunch of teens that got turned into Digimon! They can't possibly expect us to be these 'Chosen Warriors' or something!"

"Yeah, it's unnerving." Zoe added in, although a little more calmly. "I don't know what Sekata and Steve would make of this..."

"Whether the legend is true or not, I myself cannot definitely say. However, no one is asking you to do anything." Seraphimon replied. "The choice is yours after all."

"If doing that will somehow get us back to our world, then it's as good as the only choice we have." Janet looked up.

_Unless we want to spend the rest of our lives here as Digimon. _Zoe silently continued. It also brought her thoughts back to a similar conversation their group had much earlier on.

"_Would that be such a bad thing?" _Had been Sekata's response.

Just then, a Pegasusmon burst into the room.

"Lord Seraphimon! The Bazaar is under attack!"

"The Underworld's forces again?!"

"Yes sir. We've already alerted the defense forces."

"Good, let's go!" The armored angel gave the soldier a nod of approval, then turned to the girls. "You should stay here. I strongly suspect that our enemies seek you, the chosen ones."

"Which is an even greater reason for us to go!" Zoe declared, standing up.

"Besides, no one is asking us to do anything, right?" Janet continued.

* * *

Broken wooden structures littered the street, as did the debris from the surrounding buildings, a couple of them on fire.

"How awful..." Zoe muttered.

A Piddomon stumbled into view, grasping his side in pain.

"Hey, are you all right?" Janet asked, running up to him.

"Watch out!" Piddomon yelled as an Ice Devimon suddenly appeared from behind him, claws outstretched.

"X-Laser!" Zoe sent an energy burst into the frost demon, sending him crashing through a nearby wall.

"Whew...thanks." Jan gasped.

"Sir, they're...around the other side..." The wounded soldier gasped.

"It's all right. We'll take it from here." Seraphimon told him. He gestured for some of the soldiers to help their injured comrade, and sent the rest ahead. "I hope you're ready. A large scale battlefield is quite different from one-on-one fights."

Indeed, the next area was a scene of chaos. Among the many Digimon simultaneously fighting were Angemon and Devimon soldiers, as well as Piddomon and Ice Devimon. In the center of the destruction towered a larger, more terrifying shape.

"That Marine Devimon seems to be in command." Seraphimon noted as a pair of soldiers flew up to him and saluted. "What is their target?"

"We're not sure sir. They just seem to be attacking randomly, as if they were searching for something."

Inwardly, Zoe instantly felt her stomach turn. It was Jan and her that the devils were looking for.

While it was impossible to tell Seraphimon's expression through his helmet, he still seemed to sense Zoe's distress.

"We'll need to take out their commander then." He decided, turning to Jan and Zoe. "I'll be back soon. Watch yourselves."

With that, he flew off with the two Angemon soldiers.

"They're here because of us." Zoe said softly. "All this destruction..."

"Zoe!" Janet pulled her down just in time to avoid a stray blast. "Hey, we can't afford to think about that now! We wanted to come to this battlefield, right? At least let's show them we can do something and...WHOA!!"

The pair ducked as a Devidramon swooped down with its razor-sharp fangs.

"I'm starting to really hate those things." Janet growled. "Zoe, you distract him and I'll...Zoe? Zoe?!"

"Hey YOU!" Roared a voice from an adjacent rooftop. Zoe stood there intimidatingly taunting the Devidramon. "Come and get me!!"

And the devil dragon did just that, turning and sweeping in for another round.

"Hey! Zoe, get out of there!" Janet yelled in panic, not even seeing Zoe do so much as budge a muscle.

She covered her eyes, expecting the worst. But Janet soon opened them again to witness an amazing sight. Zoe had simply spun to the side and slammed both her arms onto the back of the larger dragon's head, snapping its neck. Its body fell to the ground and disintegrated into data particles.

"Zoe..." Janet muttered, staring up at her friend.

Zoe had her head turned towards the battlefield, claws clenched tight. Her hands trembled as a single tear drop fell, glistering in the sunlight. In all the time Janet had known her, Zoe wasn't one to lose her temper easily. However here she was angry...very angry.

"STOP IT!" Zoe roared, Digivice glowing. "XV-mon evolves…Paildramon!"

Ignoring Janet's protests, the Paildramon took to the skies, charging into the center of the battlefield.

"Desperado Blaster!"

The blue energy bolts were carefully aimed, striking several Devimon down. Zoe didn't care that it attracted the attention of just about every Underworld soldier there was. Despite taking damage from projectiles, claws and slashes, Zoe swung the fists about, combining that with firing her blasters wildly.

Soon, everything was a blur. Zoe didn't even know who she was attacking.

All of a sudden, a pair of tentacles wrapped around her neck and body. Marine Devimon had chosen this moment to attack, choking Zoe and dragging her down.

"Atomic Blaster!" A pair of Jan's white energy rays threw Marine Devimon back, releasing Zoe in the process. "Are you crazy?! You trying to get yourself killed or something?!"

"I was handling it just fine!"

"No you aren't!" Janet growled. "You're...watch out!!"

"Guilty Black!"

Shoving Zoe to the ground, Janet used her larger MegaloGrowmon body to block Marine Devimon's attack, a spray of corrosive black liquid. Jan roared in pain as the acid ate into her armor nevertheless.

"NO!!" Zoe cried in horror.

"Seven Heavens!"

With an ear-splitting screech, Marine Devimon's body disintegrated in a cloud of data particles. Behind him stood Seraphimon, his hands still raised after hurling the seven glowing fireballs into Marine Devimon's back.

Seeing their squad commander defeated, the Devimon and Ice Devimon soldiers hastily began to retreat.

"Get a medic over here, ASAP!" Seraphimon called.

Janet lay on the ground, moaning in pain as Zoe knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry..."

* * *

Later that night, Janet (back in Rookie form) found Zoe standing on the balcony of the Crystal Palace , gazing out aimlessly at the dark sky.

"Zoe?"

"I messed up big time today, didn't I?"

"Hey, you just made a little misjudgment. Besides, I'll be all right." Janet said, tapping her left arm, which was wrapped in bandages. "Healers here are incredibly good."

"Little?!" The XV-mon growled, turning her Digivice around in her claw. "I totally lost it out there."

"It happens to the best of us." Janet told her reassuringly. "It's been hard for me too. I've...learnt some lessons out here too...the hard way."

"It's just that...things happening so quickly, so many changes." Zoe continued. "I...I...I just need some time to myself."

"I understand." Janet nodded, turning for the door. "I'll be going out for a walk."

"Sekata...I wonder how you've handled this for so long..." Zoe whispered, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

* * *

"That was certainly no standard raiding party sir." A Rapidmon was speaking to Seraphimon. "It would've been more discrete, or at least on a smaller scale."

The meeting room was currently filled with the various division leaders, each presenting their reports on the day's attack.

"Indeed, but it was too small scale to be a frontal assault either." Seraphimon nodded.

_Even if it was aimed at the chosen ones. _He added in silently, choosing to keep that fact to himself for now.

"I'm sure they knew that one squad could not have caused us significant damage." A voice commented.

"Then, why attack at all?" Another voice came.

"That's what doesn't add up." Seraphimon said, looking at each of his advisors. "And that's also what worries me."

* * *

The streets were far less crowded at the late hours and Janet had no problems making her way through. None of the few Digimon around decided to bother her, a relief after the events at the gate and the battle.

Alone in her ponderings, Janet thought back to Zoe's outburst earlier on. No doubt Zoe had gotten mad at seeing the town's soldiers getting hurt because the evil Digimon were looking for them.

She'd known Zoe since they were young and had definitely never seen Zoe as angry as she was earlier. Janet knew her as a quiet and reserved person, generally following the lead of others, particularly Steve. That wasn't the case now—Zoe was certainly calling her own shots.

Steve somehow managed to carry on being as laid-back and easygoing with his smart remarks as ever, but he also had a lot of guts and strong sense of justice within. Not like she'd ever tell him that anyway.

For herself, it was the case of daring herself to challenge the limits and face reality, and not run back to her computer like she always did before.

In the short time she'd know Sekata, he'd immediately struck her as a loner type. Despite that, his other side showed him as the ideal 'good guy', as much as he tried to hide that.

And that was the four of them, caught up in the rapid currents of changes.

_You're right about that Zoe. _She thought. _Things are going really fast. With all these changes...some of them are good, but will we someday lose our true selves to them? I just... _

Completely lost in thought, Janet rounded a corner and tripped on someone's tail. Crying out in panic, she stumbled, waving her arms wildly.

"Whoa, careful there!" She felt a strong grip on her uninjured arm, preventing her from falling down a flight of stone stairs in front of her.

"Thanks." She breathed, turning her head. "I...huh?"

The stranger holding her arm was another Guilmon.

"Yeah, I was about to ask you the same thing too." He grinned. "Don't see many Guilmon around here. Especially with the pretty rude welcome they gave me."

"Hey, it was the same with me." Janet commented. "Any idea what's with that?"

"I'm clueless, I'm afraid." The male Guilmon shook his head. "But if I do find that Guilmon or whatever dinosaur that's been making the rest of us look bad, I'm gonna give em' a piece of my mind."

"You and me both pal."

"Say, you new in town? Seen the new exhibit at the museum yet? I heard they're open late tonight."

"I...erm..."

"Chill, no need to be shy. I understand we just met a couple of minutes ago."

"It's not that, but..."

"Oh, you have a boyfriend?"

"NO!"

"Ok, ok, relax, jeez!"

"Yeah, sorry." Janet muttered. "But, well I don't really have anything to do right now and I am sort of interested."

"No problem, I'll show you the way." He smiled cheerfully.

* * *

"There is something else that you seek."

Alarmed, Zoe spun around to find another angel-like Digimon standing behind her. She was distinctively female, clad in green and golden armor, with a helmet somewhat similar to Seraphimon's, except it left her mouth exposed. She too had many golden wings on her back and had a javelin strapped to her side.

"Pardon my intrusion, chosen one, but when I felt you, I could not ignore it."

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked, facing the female Angel.

"It is best said that you and I share the same gift." The stranger replied. "Of Premonitions."

"I..." Zoe had so many things she wanted to ask, and yet couldn't get the words out of her mouth.

"I understand it's hard to except being away from your own world, and even more difficult knowing you have this gift."

"Why me?" Zoe finally managed.

"That is often asked, but I do not know myself. These things are rare, and just...appear all of a sudden. But it is up to us to decide how we use our gifts."

"I don't understand..." Zoe began, when she suddenly dropped to her knees.

A scene flashed into her mind.

It was Janet, walking alone down a stone corridor. Then, a large humanoid figure appeared behind her. It was black, and completely dark. Suddenly, it rushed for Jan, who spun around in shock.

Zoe forced her eyes open, breaking out in cold sweat.

"Are you all right Zoe?" The female Digimon asked, kneeling beside her. "Did you see something?"

"Janet...she might be in danger." Zoe whispered. "I still have many questions, but I have to go find her! I just can't let that awful feeling I have slip by!"

The Angel nodded as Zoe leapt up onto the railing, spreading her wings.

"Just before I go, you know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Ophanimon."

"Will you be here later Ophanimon?"

"You'll know where I'll be, my friend. Soon enough."

"I don't..." Zoe felt a strong breeze blowing past her shoulder and turned away for a split second. "Understand...huh?"

Ophanimon was gone.

"Weird..." Zoe muttered before taking off.

* * *

However, unbeknown to her, someone else was also listening to her conversation. Two rather 'small' someones to be exact.

"That was THE Ophanimon, wasn't it?" A voice asked.

"Yeah, had to be." His companion replied. "And she seems to have a liking to that blue dragon for some reason or other."

"The Master will definitely like to hear this."

"You're right. And we're sure to get a big reward for this!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

With that, the two Pico Devimon (aka Demi Devimon) left, disappearing into the dark sky.

* * *

"What is this display anyway?" Janet asked.

A large, glass cylinder filled the center of the circular room. Within was a diamond-shaped crystal, glowing with a soft golden light. The room was currently empty, except for the two red dinosaurs.

"It's the Sacred Crystal that's supposed to be the energy source of the gates that protect Angel's Lands from the forces of the Underworld."

"Really? They never told me that."

"Well, it's just a rumor after all. But they say it's the reason the Master of the Underworld cannot enter these lands."

"Wow, sounds really important."

"That why they have some pretty complex security system. Besides, being a sacred object of light, no devils are able to touch it."

"It's really pretty too." Janet commented, stretching her neck for a closer look. "Thanks for showing me over here."

"Hey, no problem Princess." The male Guilmon laughed, putting a claw on her shoulder. "We're from the same species, right? Guys as similar as us gotta stick together, yeah?"

"I..." Janet began when she saw something move. "What's that?!"

"What's what?" Her companion asked, turning to the left.

All of a sudden, the dark, slim shaped of a Devimon dashed out from the right of the cylinder.

"Get down!" Janet yelled, shoving him to the floor and sending off a fireball.

It left a large scorch mark on the ceiling, also setting off the alarms.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"Something's here!" Janet insisted. "It was right there!"

"Where?!" He turned to his right, only to have the Devimon emerged again, on the side her wasn't looking to.

"Duck!" Janet shouted, sending a fireball straight.

Although his face was partially turned away, Janet could almost swear that for a split second, she saw an evil grin on his face. He stood up straight and took her attack right in the chest, throwing him back into the glass cylinder, shattering it and knocking the crystal over.

Both landed in a heap on the other side of the room.

"Hey!"

"What's going on in here?!" A bunch of Angemon guards burst into the room.

"She's working for the Underworld!" The male Guilmon pointed. "She was trying to get me to steal the Sacred Crystal with her!"

"WHAT?! NO that's not true!" Janet screamed in protest. "There was a Devimon here, I swear! No! You're got the wrong Digmon! HHEEYYY!! NNOO!!"

Poor Janet didn't have time to scream anymore because the guards were literally all over her.


	16. Fierce Clashes! Dragons in Peril!

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Fierce Clashes! Dragons in Peril! **

By nightdragon0

The first thing that hit the dragon's mind was air.

Or more precisely, the lack of it. He was underwater...and he didn't like it at all.

_Can't...breathe..._

Flailing his limbs wildly, he frantically kicked himself towards the light. His lungs were so desperate for air...the surface just had to be there! One moment, he was certain his mind would simply explode.

The next, he burst out from beneath the cold waters, taking in large long breaths of precious oxygen. When he finally recovered from the shock of his near-death experience, his next instinct was to examine his surroundings.

He was paddling in a lake at the bottom of a small but fast-moving waterfall. All around, the landscape was littered with trees and greenery as far as eye could see, which wasn't very far considering night had fallen and everything was rapidly fading to darkness.

_Hmmm...don't recognize this place. How did I get here? _The dragon wondered. _Did I fall off that waterfall? _

Swimming to shore, he pulled himself up and glanced at his reflection in the lake. He was a tall, black armor clad dragoniod with razor-like claws and fangs. A silver helmet was 'melded' over his entire face, leaving only his lower jaws exposed.

Then, it occurred to him that something very important was missing.

"Wait a minute...who...who am I?!"

* * *

A lone Gargoylemon flew high above the lush forests. After giving up his search the pervious night, Steve had resumed the moment the sun came up. It was also probably the earliest time he'd ever gotten up in his life.

"Sekata! Dammit where the heck are you?!" Steve yelled, even through his voice was already sore.

Exhausted, he landed on a thick branch and sat down. He pulled out the medium sized Dragon Dagger and turned it over in his claws. Sekata had dropped it when he'd jumped onto Beelzebumon's bike during the earlier fight, and Steve figured he had to bring it along.

There didn't seem to be anything special about the dagger, other than the fact that it was silver, shiny and had its head shaped like a dragon with a couple of rubies as its eyes.

Shrugging, Steve slipped it back into his belt pouch and glanced down. He was momentarily startled at how high up he was.

"Whoa...OK, I have got **wings** growing out of my back. I **cannot** possibly be afraid of heights."

With that, he dropped off the branch and instinctively spread his wings to slow his descent towards the forest floor. Everything was going smoothly until he went right into a well hidden net.

* * *

As much as it troubled the dragon, he simply couldn't recall anything about himself. Having nowhere else to go, he'd spent the night by the lake. Now that the morning light was streaming in through the trees, he could at least see more of his surroundings, which unfortunately gave no clues to his lost identity.

Finally, he resorted to searching himself. He didn't have anything important on other than an unusual pair of goggles. However, he had a pouch strapped to the left side of his belt and opened it to find a deck of cards.

_Digimon...Yeah, that's right! I'm a Digimon! _

The words and pictures seemed foreign to him, but he happened to spot one particular card that bore a striking resemblance to himself.

_Cyberdramon...? Hmmm...this must be what I am._

'Cyberdramon' happened to lean against a tree and felt something strapped to his other side. He pulled out a somewhat squarish device with a padded strap. There were several buttons on its surface and a screen which was currently off.

"What's this?" He wondered, randomly pushing the buttons.

All of a sudden, the screen lit up and a series of illegible characters flashed across the screen. Cyberdramon shielded his face and the device emitted a blinding flash. The next time he looked, a rectangular 'door of light' had materialized in front of him.

Everything was confusing him even more...but somehow...he felt almost drawn to step forward. It was as if something was calling out to him. Heading for the light had saved him before, so perhaps he wound find some answers there.

Returning the odd black and silver device to its place on the belt, Cyberdramon leapt forward.

* * *

"What the hell??" Steve cried in outrage.

"Hahaha! Looks like we caught a little lizard in our trap!" A familiar, but unpleasant werewolf sprang up from his hiding place in the bushes.

"Black WereGarurumon?! What the heck do you want, you loser?!"

"To put it simply, there's a nice price on your head." The wolf smirked. "I screwed up the last job thanks to Beelzebumon, but I'll be getting this one with or without his help! Dogmon, now!"

The net was suddenly pulled off the tree. Steve saw that it was attached to a miniature crane with a cartoon-like dog at the controls. The orange dog had a white 'D' on his stomach and black, long drooping ears. He snickered happily as he waved to Black WereGarurumon.

"Meet my sidekick, Dogmon." Black WereGarurumon chuckled.

"You sure have some pathetic taste in comrades!" Steve shouted.

"Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea!" Dogmon giggled, nodding his head, apparently thinking it was funny.

"He was insulting you, you dimwit!" Black WereGarurumon yelled, waving his arms. "Nevermind, you're still the one who's stuck in the net, lizard!"

"Yeah, about the net." Steve muttered. "Let me out this instant, or you'll be in big trouble!"

Both canines burst out laughing.

"All right then, we do this the hard way!" Steve growled, switching to his Flamedramon form.

With a roar, he threw his weight into one side of the net, swinging away from Black WereGarurumon. Still, his swing was too far off course to touch the crane at all.

"Hahaha! Your aim is totally off." The werewolf bent over, laughing wildly. That was when he realized that the net was swinging back, and straight towards him. "Oh crap..."

"Fire Rocket!" In a burst of flames, Steve tore through the net and rammed his opponent. The two struggling figures rolled over each other several times before Steve managed to shove Black WereGarurumon off and make a run for it.

Unfortunately, he didn't get very far.

"Gurgh! What the?!" Steve found a set of three metallic bands strapped around his right arm. Those were connected to a chain that Black WereGarurumon was currently waving around proudly.

"Slipped that on ya during our little rumble." He bragged, swinging the other end around. "Not so stupid now, am I?"

"Grrr...now I am officially pissed!" Steve roared, tugging on the chain.

"Humph!" Black WereGarurumon naturally pulled back in a tug-o-war style match. "Dogmon! Get over here and help me!"

Dogmon nodded and leapt up. However, in doing so he also stepped on one of the crane's controls, causing its 'arm' to swing right over at his partner.

"No! Not..."

WHAM!!

Taking advantage of the duo's incompetence, Steve charged and tackled WereGarurumon. The two went tumbling down the side of a hill, constantly hitting each others and spilling out curses. They continued their battle at the sandy bottom and happened to roll across a set of train tracks, where they pushed apart from each other.

"Gargh! You..." Black WereGarurumon snarled, finally able to stand up. "HUH?!"

It the midst of their scuffle the other end of the chain had gotten attached around Black WereGarurumon's left arm. That left the pair bound to each other by a chain that was about 3 feet or so.

"Now, this is really funny." Steve muttered, both tugging at the chain and slashing at it with his claws.

"Forget about doing that." Black WereGarurumon told him. "It's a high quality Chrome Digizoid alloy that's practically unbreakable."

"Even a moron like you has to have a key!"

"Yeah, Dogmon has it. DOGMON! Get over here now!"

The sounds of Dogmon's snickering drew the pair to his location. The small Digimon was sitting in a mailbag (with the words 'Digital World Mail' on it) hung on a nearby pole. Dogmon grinned and waved a key in his hand.

"THE KEY!!" Steve and the werewolf glanced at each other before rushing for the pole.

However, a long and loud whistle alerted them to something their fight had caused them to miss. They were standing on train tracks...the same ones on which a Trailmon Worm (brown colored with four yellow eyes) was rapidly approaching.

Both screamed in panic and tried to run away...in opposite directions. And because of the chain that held them together, neither of them were going anywhere.

"You're gonna get us killed!" Steve screeched.

"Me?! It's you!" Black WereGarurumon protested. "Lettgo!"

"Garrghh!!"

"Noo!!"

At the last possible instant, Steve recovered his composure enough to utilize his Fire Rocket attack and propel both his nemesis and himself out of harm's way. One of the Trailmon's carriages had a hook, which nicely caught the mailbag...along with Dogmon and the key in it.

Steve and Black WereGarurumon looked up just in time to see the train speeding off.

Still in the mailbag, Dogmon looked around in confusion for a second, then closed his eyes and started snickering for the sake of it.

"DOGMON!!" Black WereGarurumon cried. "YOU IDIOT!!"

"The key..." Steve moaned.

As the two stood and simultaneously gawked in depression, the winds began blowing, stirring up the sands and sending a dried-up tumbleweed rolling across their path.

* * *

Cyberdramon found himself thrown into another series of blinding lights. It seemed like he was being randomly tossed about until he finally landed on solid ground.

His new surroundings were best described as a desert wasteland. Nothing but sand, mountains and hills in the background, under the orange glow of a setting sun.

"Huh? Whoa!" There was another short flash of light, and a sound from behind him. "Cyberdramon...? Is this...this a dream?"

When Cyberdramon spun around, two very different thing hit his mind.

One was that this figure was a young human of about 12, a boy with brown eyes and shoulder length black hair. He was dressed in green jeans, with an orange vest over a brown shirt.

The next thing his instincts went was...ATTACK!

"GGGGRRRRROOORRRRR!!" He bellowed.

"NO!" The boy screamed, immediately springing up and running for his life. Still, it wasn't very fast by his standards and Cyberdramon deiced to toy around with his prey a little.

He pretended to give chase, keeping just behind the boy, and then suddenly somersaulted in front of him. The boy cried out in horror, dropping to the ground and covering his face.

"NO! Please! Don't hurt me!! NO!!"

"Grrrr..."

The boy uncovered his face for a second and gasped.

"Behind you!!"

Cyberdramon didn't even have time to react as a laser burst grazed his left shoulder. With a beast-like howl, Cyberdramon grasped his wounded shoulder and turned to face the creature that'd interrupted his hunt.

Although he could sense it was another Digimon, its appearance was simply bizarre. It towered over him, with a pair of large three-fingered arms and legs. However, those appendages were joined to his main body only by several strands of orange wires. His body's main color was white with several purple patterns, as were the arms and legs. The body was roughly humanoid, but it had a central core, a purple sphere melded right into where its stomach should've been. It had no mouth, just a face with two horns at the top, one horn at the chin and a single eye in the center of its head.

The mysterious intruder uttered a series of indecipherable clicks and hums as its single eye lit up.

Cyberdramon reacted instantly.

"ERASE CLAW!!"

At the same time, his opponent unleashed a purple, swirling beam from its eye. The two attacks collided, creating a huge explosion that threw Cyberdramon head over heels.

"Cyberdramon!" The same boy he'd been terrorizing earlier now ran to his side.

"Not...possible..." The black dragon muttered. The strange white Digimon was completely unharmed. Cyberdramon was so transfixed by this that he didn't notice the boy pulling something off his belt.

"Is this...a Digivice?" The boy wondered. "Wow!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Cyberdramon saw the 'Digivice' light up. The boy pointed it at the white Digimon and a small image appeared on the screen.

"Parallelmon. Final form (Mega). Virus attribute. A mutant type Digimon who hunts tamers, prowling through space and time. Attacks -- Absorbent Bang and Endless Trance." The boy read. "Unbelievable..."

Parallelmon suddenly let loose with another attack. With lightning reflexes, Cyberdramon grabbed and human and flew out of blast range, leaving Parallelmon far behind. For now, a retreat was unavoidable.

"Thanks." The boy breathed, still slightly in shock, as the winds blew past. "Thought you were going to kill me back there."

"I was..." Cyberdramon replied, shaking his head. "...but I don't know. I just couldn't."

"I..." For a long while, the boy seemed unsure of what to say. He then looked down at the Digivice and started asking questions. "Is this for me? Am I your partner? Is this a dream?"

"Don't know." Cyberdramon growled, wishing the boy would just shut up. "And don't care."

* * *

"This is all your fault!"

"Quit complaining and keep walking." Steve snapped, tugging on the werewolf's chain.

The sun was currently at its peak and both were practically dragging themselves along the sandy path, hunched over with their tongues hanging out. Following the train tracks had unfortunately led them into an even more desolate area with neither shade nor water in sight.

And it didn't help that they had no way to release the chain tying them together.

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd gotten caught at the right time." Black WereGarurumon grunted.

"What do you think I am?! A Pokemon?!" Steve growled. "Huh? Urgh!"

The pair had unintentionally walked around opposite sides of a pole, and of course the chain had gotten stuck.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Black WereGarurumon yelled. "Get over here!"

"Me? You move my way instead!!" Steve retorted.

"Says who?!"

"Grrr..." In a flash of light, he switched Digimetals, becoming Raindramon.

"Nice trick pal, but changing ya skins ain't getting you out of this chain." Black WereGarurumon huffed. "You arm's still stuck in there no matter..."

That was when the werewolf noticed an evil grin on Steve's armored face.

"Remember how metal conducts electricity?"

"Huh...Oh crap..."

"Thunder Blast!"

BBBBBZZZZRRRTTTTTT!! (With anime style skeleton showing effects.)

"Ow..." Moaned the werewolf lying on the floor in spasms.

"Now, you'll do things my way." Steve said proudly.

"Urgh...says...who..."

Steve simply smirked and lit his horn up with blue electrical energy.

"Ok! Ok!" Black WereGarurumon was instantly up and sprinted behind Steve. "Hey, could I ride you? We can be like the cowboy and horse, ya know? With this desert setting and all? Whadda say, partner?"

BBBBZZZZRRRTTTT!!

"I'll...take that as a 'no'..." The now charred wolf coughed before hitting the floor, face-first.

"Get up you lazy dog!" Steve groaned, jabbing his side. "Great! He's unconscious!!"

* * *

The pair flew on for a while until night fell and they found a small cavern to take shelter in.

The cybernetic dragon found it rather amusing how the human child kept glancing at him in awe. The boy stood a short distance away as Cyberdramon carried out his task of starting the fire, then lying back against a wall of the cavern.

The dragon himself was pissed about having to flee the battle. For someone of his caliber, it was simply an unforgivable flaw. The human turned the Digivice around in his hand over and over again, before taking a seat on the opposite side of the fire. The boy had finally gathered up enough courage to speak.

"You understand Japanese?"

"Understand what?"

"The language I'm speaking now."

"You are speaking in my language."

"I am..." He wondered. "Perhaps we're both talking in our own languages, but somehow in this world, we can understand each other perfectly."

Cyberdramon looked away, uninterested in continuing the conversation.

"What was that thing that attacked us? For that matter, what are we doing here? Why us? I keep thinking this must be some sort of dream, but nothing happens when I pinch my arm."

"Aren't you listening? What do you make of all this?"

"Don't you care at all?!"

"Enemies exist to be annihilated." Cyberdramon growled. "That's all I care about. I exist to be the strongest. That's all that matters."

Cyberdramon didn't want the human to know about his memory loss, but it seemed like everything was coming back to him already. His instincts told him so...to terminate any foe that stood before him. That was his one and only goal.

"Damn, you're so stubborn!" The boy said, standing up. "Somehow, the two of us have been brought together in this crazy place. Doesn't that have any significance to you?!"

"I see only my opponent."

Sighing, the boy was about to take his seat again when something met his gaze.

"Are those cards in that pouch?" He asked. "Could I take a look?"

Apparently, one of his belt pouches had been slightly dislodged in the fighting. Cyberdramon didn't move and let the boy walk up and open the pouch. The human was nervously trembling the entire time, but his anxiety seemed to disappear once he began flipping through the cards.

"Awesome, this is an amazing deck!" The boy gasped. "I never thought I'd ever meet any Digimon in person, but even less a Cyberdramon wearing goggles with a great Digimon card deck! There are some cards I've never even seen before!!"

The black dragon leaned back and shut his eyes, hidden beneath his helmet. The boy kept talking, but Cyberdramon never really heard anything. He just wanted to ignore the human, get some rest, and regain his lost pride by defeating this Parallelmon.

Yet, he couldn't pull his thoughts away form the human, as much as he tried. Something just wouldn't let him...something just felt...familiar about the boy.

* * *

"Sekata, whatever you're doing now, it's got to be better than dragging an unconscious werewolf through the middle of a desert." Steve complained to no one in particular.

Even switching back to his fire-elemental Flamedramon form hadn't helped much in dealing with the scorching heat. That, added to the dead weight he was dragging along just made his day.

While stumbling along the train tracks, an idea popped into his mind. (With an animated thought bubble effect.)

Steve remembered how runaway convicts in the movies lay on opposite sides of a train track and let the train run over to cut their chains. Perhaps this idea would work here. However, his own chain wasn't long enough to go all the way across and he had to settle for laying Black WereGarurumon in the center of the tracks (where the train would pass above him) while he moved to the side.

"Wait a second...I need a train for this to work!" He realized, stamping his feet. "Ah well, I could always wait."

A wave of exhaustion hit Steve the moment he sat down, forcing him to lie down on his back. He found it surprisingly nice exposing his chest and belly to the sun.

"What's this called? Basking? Jee, I see why my pet iguana liked it so much." Steve yawned, pulling his vest up and covering his face with it. "I'll just take 40 winks and be up in no time...ZZZZZ..."

* * *

Cyberdramon awoke with a start. 'It' was coming...and he could sense it.

"It's here, isn't it?" The kid asked, feeling his companion's anxiety.

Cyberdramon only stared out of the cavern, letting off his low pitched growl. The next instant, he'd grabbed the boy and was up in the air as the whole cave came down in a loud bang.

The boy screamed, fighting off his instinctive urge of panic. Cyberdramon dropped him at a high ledge and swerved round to face the towering mutant Digimon, Parallelmon.

"ERASE CLAW!!"

Once again, Parallelmon responded by firing his purple laser beam, its Absorbent Bang attack. Cyberdramon snarled in frustration as his attack was absorbed into the mix. He fired off two more blue energy bursts with similar results.

"Cyberdramon! It's no use! He's absorbing your attacks!" He heard the human shouting. "Get out of there!"

"I don't need you to tell me how to fight!" The dragon yelled angrily.

"Watch out!"

Cyberdramon barely managed to leap away as a follow up attack left a blackened crater in the floor.

"Come on, please let this work..." The boy fumbled with the Digivice. "Card Slash! High Speed Plug-in B!"

Cyberdramon just kept on fighting and was thrown to the ground by another blast.

"What happened?" The boy wondered. "Card Slash! High Speed Plug-in B!"

Once again, the card seemed to have no effect.

"Why won't it work?!" He cried. "Cyberdramon, I'm trying to help you!!"

"Whatever you're doing, I don't need your help!"

"Cyberdramon!! Please...NO!! Don't charge in like that!!"

"ERASE..."

However, while he had spent those few seconds moving in, Parallelmon had sufficient time to recover and fire his beam again. Cyberdramon was caught in mid-attack, his own prematurely charged blast exploding in his claws.

The pain that shot through his body was excruciating, as was his roar of fury. The black dragon found himself badly charred, with crimson fluid spurting out of the stump that remained of his left arm.

Suddenly, Parallelmon was standing over him, preparing for the finishing blow.

"NO!!" The boy came running onto the scene and Parallelmon turned towards him instead.

Using the distraction, Cyberdramon sprang up, dragging the human out of blast range. By some stroke of luck, another cavern entrance was nearby. The cybernetic dragon ducked into it and fell down a long series of twisting tunnels. Fortunately, Parallelmon was too large to follow.

After several intense seconds of spinning around in darkness, the two ended up in a large, underground lake. Both were panting wildly, and the boy turned to Cyberdramon.

"You look really bad. Are you all right?"

Cyberdramon didn't answer...he collapsed.

* * *

A long loud whistle snapped Steve out of his long daydream. In an instant, everything about the train tracks and being chained to a black werewolf came back to him. That being in addition to the fact that Black WereGarurumon was up and attempting to drag him off.

"What are you?! Crazy!! Trying to get me killed by leaving me on the tracks!!"

"Trying to get a train to run over our chains and break them!!" Steve yelled, angrily tugging back. "But the chain's too short to go across, so you'll have to lie under the train!!"

"I'm NOT doing that!!" Black WereGarurumon protested.

"Oh YES you are!!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!!"

"ARE TOO!!"

Of course, standing on train tracks arguing is not a bright idea...especially when the train's coming. Or in this case, a Trailmon Franken (red with two green eyes). Both broke out in a shoving and pushing melee upon realizing that fact. In the midst of that struggle, Black WereGarurumon leapt and grabbed onto the Trailmon's side leaving Steve, who was chained to him, to run along beside the train.

"Garug! Hargh! Help!!" Steve gasped.

Black WereGarurumon only laughed, but failed to notice a nearby pole until it hit him at the back of his head. Steve jumped aside to avoid the flying werewolf's body. This happened just as the caboose of the train passed by and their chain became entangled on one of its hooks.

With that, the wayward travelers were dragged along with the speeding Trailmon.

* * *

Cyberdramon unwillingly pulled himself back to consciousness with a searing pain in his left arm...or what was left of it. He found a blood-soaked piece of cloth firmly tied around the stump and realized it was the vest that belonged to his human companion.

"Cyberdramon! You're awake!" The boy gasped, moving to his side. "I didn't know what to do since I've never seen an injured Digimon before, but I think that makeshift tourniquet should've helped."

The black dragon nodded, through not entirely happy about it. As far as he knew, Digimon were part organic, part digital data and some with other components as well. The human had probably kept him from bleeding to death, but that just might be a foreshadowing to an even darker fate.

"I can't use Erase Claw effectively with one hand." Cyberdramon muttered. "And I can't get close enough to use melee attacks."

"That's if you jump in there headfirst." The boy told him. "Listen, I watched while he was attacking you. Every time he fires that laser beam of his, the purple orb in the middle of his body flashes white. I think that's where his charges are stored. If we can take it out, we might have a chance. But it only seems to be vulnerable the instant before he fires, so it's a do-or-die risk."

"We?"

"Look...I know you're a powerful dragon who can just rip and shred things anytime he likes. Maybe I'm just a kid in the way, but I know I can help you, with this." The boy replied, holding up the Digivice and the cards. "If you trust me...no, please trust me. I believe you can beat him and save us both!"

Perhaps it was that fierce resolution in his eyes, but for a moment, it was just...so much like himself.

"What's your plan?" Cyberdramon asked.

* * *

"Gargh! Whew..."

"Hargh! Dammit, that was all your fault lizard!"

"My fault?! You started this whole mess in the first place!!"

Steve and Black WereGarurumon had finally managed to pull themselves up onto the rear caboose, and were again arguing as they gasped for breath.

A familiar snickering alerted both to the figure on top of the train.

"DOGMON!!"

The orange dog waved the key in front of his face, ever-grinning as usual. How he'd gotten onto this particular Trailmon was beyond them.

"Give me the key you...urgh!" Black WereGarurumon began when Steve shoved his face aside.

"Hand it over buddy!!" The Flamedramon roared, making a lunge that scared Dogmon away.

Black WereGarurumon jerked him back with the chain and tried to leapt up, forgetting that the link worked both ways. Steve pulled his opponent down, ending up with both in a heap on the narrow platform at the edge of the caboose.

With their shoulders locked, the two struggled as they fought their way onto the roof of the train made a mad dash for Dogmon.

Steve stopped partway and knelt down. Black WereGarurumon continued running and had almost reached Dogmon when Steve yanked the chain. That, combined with the shaky motion of the train, sent Black WereGarurumon rolling over the side. With a scream, the werewolf grabbed onto the edge of the roof.

Steve didn't hesitate in charging and wrestling the key from Dogmon.

"Help me Dogmon!!" Black WereGarurumon shouted, confusing the dimwitted Digimon even more.

However, the train made a sharp turn, sending Dogmon tumbling over as well. The orange dog ended up holding onto Black WereGarurumon's pants. Steve struggled to keep himself steady as he shoved the key into his side of the lock.

"Dogmon! My pants are slipping!! Hey!!" No sooner had the werewolf said that did his belt snap. Both his jeans and Dogmon went flying, revealing his red and white polka-dotted boxers underneath. "AARRGGHHH!!"

Steve whistled and showed off his end of the chain. He was finally free of it, casually twirling the cuffs around.

"Errr...hehehe...you won't leave me, right? Not after all we've been through together!" Black WereGarurumon giggled nervously.

"You are the weakest link." Steve grinned. "Goodbye."

Swinging the chain like a lasso, Steve tossed it around a nearby pole. Because Black WereGarurumon was still tied to it, the chain violently pulled him off the train and swung him around the pole in circles (with anime 'wide eyes' effects), before leaving him tied to the pole, completely entangled in the chain.

"Hahahahaha! Oh yeah! I rock!!" Steve laughed, doing a little victory dance, waving his fingers in a 'V' sign. "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah!"

Then, he turned around and saw the Trailmon was entering a low tunnel.

"Oh sh—"

SPLAT!! (With an anime style 'flat character' effect.)

Steve peeled himself off the wall and flopped down to the ground below.

"Ooohh...what pretty stars..." He moaned before blacking out.

* * *

A while later, Dogmon came up to where Black WereGarurumon stuck to the pole. Snickering, the orange dog held up Black WereGarurumon's pants.

"Grrr...YOU!!" Furiously, Black WereGarurumon punched Dogmon so hard that he flew all the way across the nearby hills. Unfortunately, in his fit of rage, the werewolf failed to realize one thing.

"DOGMON! MY PANTS!! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!! DOOOOGGGGGGGMON!!"

* * *

"So that's it." The boy finished as they stepped out of their hiding place, into the sunlight. "But, how are we going to find Parallelmon?"

"He'll find us." Cyberdramon growled.

As if on cue, the ground shook as the huge mutant Digimon lumbered into view. The boy gasped, but Cyberdramon stepped in front of him.

"Don't lose it now kid. Not just when I'm beginning to trust you."

"Right." His companion nodded, bringing up the Digivice. "Give it all you've got! Card Slash! Knight Device!"

A pair of lances materialized, one in Cyberdramon's remaining hand and the other by his side. With a yell, the dragon hurled the lance towards their nemesis. Unfortunately, his aim was off and Parallelmon simply swatted it away.

"Damn, I can't throw with this hand!"

"Great, don't tell me you're left handed?" The boy moaned. "I am too, but unfortunately this isn't a good time for you to be!"

Cyberdramon threw the second lance as far as he could and began to back off, Parallelmon giving chase.

"But we have to make this work!" The human said, determined. "Let's go! Card Slash! Aegis!"

The circular shield of Dukemon appeared in Cyberdramon's hand. He charged and threw it to effectively shield himself from Parallelmon's Absorbent Bang. Pumping every ounce of his remaining energy, Cyberdramon leapt up to Parallelmon's eye level.

"Card Slash! High Speed Plug-in B!"

That gave Cyberdramon the speed boost needed to evade a claw swipe from Parallelmon. Their opponent reacted just as they'd predicted, quickly charging up for another Absorbent Bang.

"Card Slash! Shishiou-maru!" (Lion King's Sword)

Now armed with a replica of Leomon's sword, Cyberdramon timed himself, waiting for just the right moment.

_Almost...almost..._

Cyberdramon let the sword fly. Time seemed to slow down as the blade approached its target. Parallelmon's eye lit up, preparing for his attack. And the orb in the center of his body flashed white...just as the sword pierced through it.

"YES!!" The boy cheered.

Parallelmon let off an ear-splitting screech as energy exploded from its body, sending multicolored beams shooting everywhere. Cyberdramon grinned with satisfaction as the huge Digimon collapsed, defeated.

Suddenly, Parallelmon's claws came up, splitting into multiple spears. Cyberdramon jumped in front of his human companion and was impaled in nearly every direction.

The dragon roared in agony as he was nailed to the rocky side of a mountain, his blood decorating much of the surroundings.

"CYBERDRAMON!!" The boy sprang up and dashed to his side.

"Get...out...of here!" He managed.

Parallelmon was completely disorientated, and was randomly lashing out everywhere, hoping to take its foes down with it.

"I won't leave you!"

"Kid, just go...before you get killed!!"

"I...can't let you go like this!" The boy protested, tears coming to his eyes.

"I'm...not worth risking your life for..."

"NO, that's not true!" The human cried, causing Cyberdramon to look right into his brown eyes. "Because...because...you're my friend!"

"So...so...are you...partner..."

That was when the Digivice lit up, activating its hidden miracle. As two green words flashed across the screen, the boy held it up.

"BIOMERGE EVOLUTION!"

"Cyberdramon evolves..." Together, their forms merged into one. The boy disappeared within and Cyberdramon's features changed, becoming more humanoid. The goggles he was wearing fell and remained around his neck instead. "...Justimon!"

The new Mega-level warrior leapt out of harms way, morphing his mechanical right arm into a sword with a blazing tip.

"Critical Arm!"

Justimon sliced the remaining spears to pieces. Still in mid-air, he changed his direction and headed straight for Parallelmon. The fallen Digimon raised an arm to attack.

"Justice Kick!"

Knocking the arm aside had the additional effect to rolling Parallelmon over to its side, much to Justimon's advantage.

"Let's finish this! Cyberdramon!" The boy called from within Justimon's core.

"Understood." Justimon changed his sword arm to a large, three fingered claw. "ACCEL ARM!!"

The final move sent a long burst of energy across the ground, tearing up what remained of Parallelmon in a huge explosion.

Exhausted, Justimon split into his two components (with Cyberdramon fully restored), both collapsing on either side. No words were spoken. For that moment, the mutual feeling of victory was shared by both...in more ways than one.

"Huh?" The boy lifted his arms and noticed his form was fading. "What's happening?"

"With Parallelmon defeated, we will both be returned to our own time and worlds." Cyberdramon theorized, seeing the same was happening to himself.

"That makes sense, I guess." The human nodded. "It was a great adventure, and here. I think those belong to you, or your actual partner at least."

He tossed Cyberdramon the cards and Digivice.

"Wait." Cyberdramon spoke up. "After all this, I still don't know your name."

"Ryutsuuki Sekata." He smiled, just as the last of his body faded away.

It hit Cyberdramon all at once...being thrown through a tunnel of bright light...the boy's identity...and his own.

* * *

"Rrargh! Gargh!" Sekata the Cyberdramon sprang up in shock. Although he was still by the lake, his head spun as everything that had happened snapped back to him like a rubber band. It was a while before he could come up with a reasonable theory.

"That boy...was me...four years ago." He muttered. "Parallelmon...a Digimon who prowls through space and time. And through him, I met my past self. But I didn't remember it, did I? I must've thought it was a dream, but..."

Sekata flipped through his card deck.

"That 'dream', it was where I came up with my deck idea. That was why I really started playing and winning the card game!" Sekata whistled.

He reached down and found his Digivice had changed completely. Like Janet's, it had become a D-Dragon, appropriately shaped like a dragon's head. Only his was black in color with red eyes and teeth. With a satisfying click, it snapped nicely around the fist of his right hand.

"Fate...it's strange, isn't it?"


	17. Battle of the Angel’s Lands

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Battle of the Angel's Lands **

By nightdragon0

"Zoe! Thank Heavens you're finally here!" Janet cried, rushing to the bars of her jail cell. Spending the night in the cell was a bad enough experience, but she had more important things to tell her friend.

"Just what in the world were you doing?!" Zoe practically screamed. "I went out looking for you, thinking you were in trouble, and suddenly I get Michael coming over to tell me **you** were the one causing trouble!"

"I told them everything. I know what I saw!"

"What all the cameras saw was you firing like a rabid dino. And there were no signs of the Devimon at all—forced entry, scratches, anything."

"You mean...you...Zoe! You don't believe me, do you?!"

"I never said that I didn't." Zoe said, lowering her voice. "I could probably bust you out of here, just that I don't want to break any more laws around here. You're in big enough trouble as it is."

"You've got to prove I'm innocent Zoe!" Janet continued. "Find that other Guilmon! That b#&tard set me up! I just know it!"

"He's in the hospital downtown, I think. I'll go check on him." Zoe nodded, dashing off. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"

"Be careful!" Janet warned. "No telling what dirty tricks he's got up his scales. Hey! Zoe, did you hear me? Zoe wait!!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Sekata was flying above a wide canal that cut straight through a mountain range. He'd left the forest area following his time-traveling encounter and was currently staring at the screen of his new dragon head shaped Digivice.

It was unlike any one he'd ever seen before (well on TV at least), but somehow a feeling had just snapped into his head, telling him it was appropriately named the 'D-Dragon'. Despite it being new and shinny, the signal, which he believed to be from Steve's Digivice, was very weak and barely traceable. Still, it was better than having no lead at all and Sekata did his best to follow the flickering arrow.

Sekata couldn't help but admire the fancy D-Dragon too.

_Perhaps it'll allow me to reach Mega level on my own, without having to merge with my past self or otherwise. _The Cyberdramon thought. That drew him deeper into his ponderings. _Speaking of that, I wonder...if I wasn't suffering from partial amnesia at that time, what would I have said to my past self? Could I have told him about the future? Could I have changed my destiny somehow?_

However, there is a reason why flying Digimon need to concentrate on where they're going, and Sekata was about to find out why.

WHAM!!

Screaming, Sekata and the Digimon he'd crashed into went tumbling out of the sky, fortunately into a dirt patch on a higher part of the mountain.

"I'm really sorry!" Sekata said, pulling himself out of the pile.

"If I was any other Digimon, you'd be in big trouble right now." A familiar voice muttered. "But luckily, I'm not. Long time no see! How are you Sekata?"

"Huh? You're... Aero V-dramon!"

Sekata recognized this particular dragon, the same one who'd helped their party out when he'd lost control of Vritramon's Spirit. Only now he had a leather equipment belt strapped around his waist and several scars, one distinctly noticeable one on the left side of his forehead.

"Yup. You're not Vritramon anymore, but I can still smell his scent on you." Aero V-dramon smiled.

"I've managed to control the Spirit." Sekata told him. "Somewhat at least. Anyway, what are you doing here Aero?"

"I should be asking you that. I'm on an investigation, but this area can be rather dangerous. The Wild Ones here can be quite unpredictable."

"Wild Ones?" Sekata asked.

"Oh, they're Digimon who choose to live by wild, untamed instinct rather than our civilized ways." Aero explained. "They generally don't attack if not provoked, but for some reason they've been rather active lately."

"I see..." Sekata nodded. "I'm...hey! Look over there!!"

Down in the canyon below, a large cloud of dust was moving rapidly. After staring for a while, the two soon realized it was an Airdramon.

And it was running from something.

* * *

"This is the floor." Zoe muttered, stepping out of the elevator.

The hospital was similar to the ones in her own world. Completely white in color with long corridors leading to several set of doors. This level was relatively empty and rather quiet as compared to the lower reception areas.

"Ow!" Zoe slapped the side of her neck, feeling a slight sting. "They even have bugs in the Digital World?!"

An Angewomon stepped out.

"Good morning. Would you be here to see the injured Guilmon?"

"Yes, if it's all right. I'd like to ask him a few questions."

"Please, come on in."

There was only one occupied bed in the room and Zoe made out a large shape with the covers pulled over him.

"Hey, you awake?" Zoe asked.

The shape moved slightly, but made no sound. Zoe waited impatiently and turned back to find the Angewomon had also left.

"Wonderful service." She growled, walking over to the bed. "OK pal, I'm out of time. I don't care if you're injured or not, but I've got some..."

Zoe threw the covers off to find an inflatable Guilmon shaped balloon with a smiley face on it.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Suddenly, it sprayed a burst of foul-smelling gas right into her face. Choking and coughing wildly, Zoe rushed for the door. Unfortunately, it was closed and firmly locked.

"X-...ughh..." The blue dragon collapsed, unconscious.

The door then clicked open and the Guilmon walked in, wearing a gas mask.

"Ah, the charm of holographic chips. They'd better reward me double time for this one!" He laughed.

* * *

"What the heck is that?!" Sekata wondered.

"Some sort of machine." Aero V-dramon suggested. "And it seems to be attacking Airdramon!"

"Then come on! We have to help!"

It was a strange craft shaped like a large caterpillar with the front part of its 'body' reared up. It was gray in color and hovered two feet above the ground. There was a pair of long extendable arms together with a series of small guns mounted at its sides and one larger cannon at the 'head' of the caterpillar. An empty rectangular cart was also being dragged along behind it.

Sekata gasped as the machine caught up with its target and sprayed out a strange, thread-like white gel. The Airdramon was caught off guard and completely wrapped up, pretty much like a cocoon.

"HEY! What do you think you're doing?!" Sekata shouted as the immobilized Airdramon dropped to the rocky ground.

The machine slowed to a stop beside the fallen Airdramon and a hatch on its head opened.

"Don't interfere with our work!" A Dinobeemon popped out, waving his claws angrily. "The master will be furious if we don't get this job done!"

A much smaller Wormmon crawled out as well, timidly hiding behind the leg of his larger cousin. Meanwhile, the machine carried out its seemingly automated task of hoisting the cocooned Airdramon onto the empty cart behind it.

"What are you doing to that Digimon?!" Aero demanded as they landed.

"Oh this?" Dinobeemon gestured, unconcerned. "It's a Wild One, so no worries. Nobody cares about them, but our master seeks to give them a happier life."

"By what? Chasing and capturing them?!"

"Simple folk like you wouldn't understand the master." Dinobeemon spat. "So run on home and mind your own business!"

"YOU!! You're nothing but bullies!!" Sekata roared.

Swinging his left hand upwards, a singular Digicode ring around the left claw while it was raised above his head. With the D-Dragon strapped to his other claw, Sekata brought the two together.

"Spirit Evolution! Vritramon!"

The other Digimon gasped in awe as Sekata stood intimidatingly with his arms folded. He took a moment to adjust his goggles so they were strapped around the rear horns at the back of the head and lying where his forehead should've been.

"A Legendary Warrior..." Dinobeemon muttered. "Now that's something you don't see everyday!"

"Uh-huh..." Wormmon nodded with much less enthusiasm.

"And THIS is something you don't see everyday either!" Sekata roared, lunging.

"Hey! Hold on!" Aero began, although a little too late.

Wormmon dropped back into the cockpit, however Dinobeemon was quicker than Sekata's Vritramon form and somersaulted over his attack.

"Nani?!" (What?!)

"Gurgh!!"

Sekata spun around to find Aero V-dramon being held in a chokehold, with Dinobeemon waving a large dagger in front of the blue dragon's throat.

"Unless you want something unfortunate to happen to your blue friend here, you'd better do as we say." Dinobeemon taunted. "And right now, I think our master will be quite interested to meet you."

"You b#&tard!!" Sekata fumed.

"Oh, I wouldn't take another step if I were you." Dinobeemon tightened his grip.

"Sekata...please..." Aero begged. "Just do as he says..."

Reluctantly, Sekata nodded.

"Good. Now change back and follow behind us closely." Dinobeemon commanded. "And no funny ideas either, or else!"

Sekata obeyed as the insect/dragon Digimon brought Aero V-dramon aboard the machine. For an instant, Aero V-dramon managed to turn his face towards Sekata.

The blue dragon gave Sekata a brief wink. Obviously, he had something in mind.

"Hey you! Don't just stand there!" Dinobeemon yelled. "Come on!"

* * *

"This is taking way too long." Janet nervously paced about the cell. "Too long. Dammit! What if that sneaky bas#&rd's done something to her! I'll never forgive him for that! Never!"

Suddenly, her Digivice was thrown into the cell, landing at her feet.

"Who?!" Janet leaned out to see the jail keeper, a golden armor plated Rhinomon, was asleep, snoring away.

"This is a game to decide your future." A voice spoke out loud. "Would you like to play?"

Janet looked down and realized it was coming from her Digivice. Its screen had lit up with a strange symbol, like an 'eye' in the center with four points in each direction.

(The symbol that appeared on the cell phones in Digimon Frontier.)

"Hey, what's going on?!" Janet frowned, jabbing the buttons.

"Kanbara Takuya, the game to decide your future has started."

"Huh?!" Janet stared, scratching her head. "Are we on the right frequency here?"

"Oh dear...that was the wrong script." The voice muttered. "Ahem, this is the correct one. Your friend is in great danger. Go to the Skyline train station in half an hour's time. Use the lowest brick in the Southeast corner and be careful not to be seen."

"Hey, wait! Zoe's in trouble?!" Janet called as the mysterious symbol disappeared. "Use the brick?"

Janet fiddled with the aforementioned brick until she realized it could be pushed inwards. Doing so revealed a small, hidden passage, barely enough for her to squeeze through. It took a lot of effort, but she finally managed to get herself through it. The tunnel led her into the sewage system, something she wasn't very pleased with considering her sense of smell, but it was better than being stuck in that prison.

* * *

"Excuse me?! You let us get caught on purpose?!"

"Not so loud Sekata." Aero nudged him. "And yes, although technically they're not holding us prisoner considering we're sitting in this lavish guest room enjoying refreshments."

They'd been brought to a rather elegant white mansion and were simply told to wait in the room, in stark contrast to how they'd been treated earlier.

"Yeah well..." He knew that the blue dragon had a point. "But you'd think 'The Master', who seems kind enough to entertain us also has some guys going round capturing innocent Digimon for him?"

"That is exactly my suspicion." Aero nodded. "That Airdramon was a Wild One, and their master happens to have an interest in these same Wild Ones."

"You think there's a connection with what you're working on?"

"I do, but I intend to speak to this 'Master' first."

Both stood up as the double doors across the room swung open.

"Welcome honored guests." A humanoid female figure greeted, stepping in. "Please, you must excuse the awful manners of my subordinate. He just gets so wrapped up in his work sometimes that he forgets these things."

This female was D'Arcmon, a Digimon that reassembled a Native American Shaman with four feathery wings on her back. She held a staff in her hand and had two smaller swords strapped to her waist.

"Yes, no grudges held, my lady." Aero V-dramon replied.

Sekata followed his lead and nodded, through not looking as happy as his blue companion seemed.

"Truly, that is good to hear, both from a Legendary Warrior and 'the' Aeromaru, three time champion of the D-1 Battle Tournament."

"You know?!"

"I choose to keep myself well informed on these things."

"Hey, you never told me you were a champion fighter!" Sekata tapped Aeromaru's shoulder.

"Erm...hehe, yeah, never had the chance, did I?" The blue dragon laughed, embarrassed. "Everyone knows me as Aeromaru in the tournaments, but it's no big deal really."

Then, his mood darkened as he faced D'Arcmon.

"However, I would like to inquire on what you're doing with these Wild Ones." He said, bringing up his hands.

"It is as they've said – giving them a better home, a better life." D'Arcmon replied. "You need not worry as I make it my solemn duty to take good care of them."

"I'm afraid that's rather vague." Sekata told her.

"Very well then. Please, come this way."

She lead the pair through the winding hallways of the mansion and down a long flight of stairs until them entered a large, spacious hallway with a high ceiling. Lining platforms cut into the side walls were what Sekata believed to be statues of various Digimon, mainly dragon and dinosaur types.

However, as he moved closer, something began to tell him that it wasn't right.

"Are these really...statues?" He wondered out loud.

"No..." Aeromaru whispered. "They're not..."

"What?!"

"Indeed, he is right." D'Arcmon stepped up to the 'statue' of a Greymon in a T-rex like lunging pose. "These children here are covered by a special film. They have no need to fight, no need to hunt or eat. So much better than the hardships they endured as Wild Ones. Here, they enjoy the happiness of eternal life."

"You...you...mean these...are living creatures...?!" Sekata staggered.

"Of course. You seem so surprised, my dear."

Aero still seemed to be stunned, but Sekata looked up as the 'petrified' Greymon. Its eyes were open and completely white, seemingly without any pupils. Then, he saw the pupil come into view, 'sliding' in from the bottom of its eye.

"Can't you hear?" Sekata growled, walking up to D'Arcmon. "They're angry!"

"Nonsense boy. They are happy." She replied calmly.

"Do you really think so?!" Sekata demanded. "I'm sure they didn't ask for this, eternal life or not!"

He was interrupted when a side door burst open and the worm-like machine they'd been on earlier came in, dragging another cocooned lump in its cart.

"We have another one here for you!" Dinobeemon called, moving the machine's mechanical arms. Like before, Wormmon crawled up silently, hiding behind his leg.

The machine moved the cocooned object onto an empty stand and the white sticky thread peeled off, revealing a petrified Seadramon beneath, looking just like all the others in the room.

"This is...cruel..." Sekata watched, transfixed by the atrocious act. "Too...cruel..."

"What gives you the right to think you can do this?!" Aero shouted angrily.

"Now, your anger is greatly misdirected." D'Arcmon simply said. "Why would one refuse help offered in the most heartfelt ways?"

"RRAARRRR!!" Sekata roared, readying the D-Dragon strapped to his right fist. "I won't sit here and watch these atrocities any longer!! Aero, let's get these Digimon out!! SPIRIT EVOULTION!! Vritramon!!"

"Foolish child..." D'Arcmon muttered.

"Sekata!! Wait!!" Aero protested.

Once again, Sekata had underestimated Dinobeemon's reflexes. No sooner was his evolution to Vritramon complete, did he get a chest-full of the sticky white thread. In a split second, it wrapped around his main body, torso and thighs, severely hampering his movement.

Sekata heard Aero screaming from behind as he reached down to try and rip the white substance off his chest. Unfortunately, that proved to be a critical mistake.

For when the Vritramon looked up, all he saw was a screen-full of white.

* * *

"Rise and shine lady!!"

Zoe felt her nose being tickled and sneezed herself awake.

"AACCHOOO!! Huh? What the?!"

"Nice nap, wasn't it?" A voice giggled.

She was no longer in the hospital room, but a small, dark cell that seemed to be carved out of a cavern instead. Zoe looked up to see the male Guilmon from before standing in front of her. Her first instinct was to jump up, only that she found herself unable to move at all.

"Sorry miss, but you're rather tied up at the moment."

Zoe was able to turn her eyes down to see she was locked in some large black pot with only her head and neck sticking out of the cover. The pot was also partially filled with water and attached to the side of a wall, suspended slightly above the ground.

"Garrghh!!" She roared. "You think this'll stop me?! X-laser!"

However, nothing happened except for Zoe feeling a hard recoil against her stomach, leaving her screaming in pain.

"No, looks like you're not getting out that way." The Guilmon taunted, moving closer. "You're lucky your attack's so weak, otherwise the rebound might've killed you."

"GGGrrrrrrr!! Let me out of here and I'll show you!!" Zoe yelled angrily, snapping her jaws, although the Guilmon was just out of reach.

"Jeez, and I thought your friend was hot-headed when she busted up the museum." He smirked, walking around to her back.

"You...you had something to do with it, didn't you?!"

"Oh? Took you long enough to figure out." He grinned, pulling something off the left side of Zoe's neck. "The bug that bit you earlier. Or rather, my personally designed radio-controlled bug, specially meant to plant this little holographic chip on you."

"Holographic chip?"

"Works by stimulating brain impulses, essentially projecting an image into their victim's mind. This one made you see the Angewomon earlier, even through my knock-out gas had everybody else dozing off. And one for your pal earlier that made her see the Devimon no one else could."

"B#&tard!!"

"Hey, don't interrupt. As the bad guy, I'm obliged to tell you all about my plans first. Anyway, that big fuss our pal caused gave my ample time to switch crystals."

The Guilmon reached to his back, and seemed to be pulling off a piece of his own skin. Zoe then realized it was a side pouch colored exactly like his scales. From which, he produced a golden diamond-shaped crystal about the size of his hand.

"And once I bring this to the Master of the Underworld, he'll be able to enter the Angel's Lands and I'll get a rather handsome reward."

"Listen buster, you won't get away with this." Zoe growled, even through she couldn't turn her head to see him. "Janet will get out somehow...and then we're gonna kick your butt!"

"Call me Dynamo, by the way. Although you won't be living to remember it much longer!" All of a sudden, Dynamo grabbed the back of her head and held his other claw to her neck. "Well, I could slit your throat open right now, but where's the fun in dying so quickly?"

The evil dino brought up an elastic band and tied Zoe's jaws shut.

"You know, you're locked in this pot for a reason." Dynamo commented, dusting his claws. "I'm sure you know pots are for boiling stuff. And guess what? You're on today's menu!"

With that, he lit a lighter and tossed it at the base of the pot, which immediately burst into flames, much to Zoe's horror.

"Know what? They even put a ventilation shaft in this cell so you can be boiled alive and not suffocate." Dynamo continued calmly, stepping out the door. "Ah well, soup's up! HAHAHAHAHA!!"

The cell door was slammed shut, leaving Zoe in nearly total darkness and complete despair.

* * *

Getting to the location hadn't been easy. Janet had to sneak up to the surface and grab a city map, but it didn't exactly document the sewage tunnels.

Finally, Janet pushed open a manhole and spotted the sign 'Skyline train station'.

"That's it..." She whispered.

Suddenly, she was grabbed, jerked out of the manhole and dragged into an alley.

"Ssshhh! It's me!" A familiar voice spoke as she struggled. "Be quiet!!"

Hidden in the shadows, a squad of guards passed by their hiding place without noticing them.

"Michael!" Janet gasped when the soldiers had passed out of earshot. "Listen, you have to believe that I'm innocent and..."

"It's all right, I believe you." The Angemon replied. "Zoe hasn't returned from the hospital and I fear she may be in danger."

"But why didn't you go to your higher ups?"

"Not that I distrust them, but I just felt that you might know better."

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. I'm not picking up Zoe's reading anywhere." Janet said softly. "All I know is this symbol showed up on my Digivice and..."

"That mark! Lady Ophanimon!"

"Wait? Who?"

"I'll explain later. What did she instruct you to do?"

"Just to get to this train station." Janet replied.

"Hmmm...I wonder if she wants you to go there..." Michael muttered.

"You seem to know the place."

"Sort of..."

"Can you take me there? I think Zoe's in trouble too, and it's my fault!"

"All right." The Angemon nodded. "Just follow me."

Michael carefully led her through the alleys, being careful to avoid any patrols, and to a back gate leading up to the station. Fortunately the lower hallways were relatively deserted allowing them to move faster without being spotted.

"Now what?" Janet wondered. "We're at the station and...huh?"

Once again, her Digivice lit up, first displaying Ophanimon's symbol, then a directional arrow. The pair nodded to each other, then followed.

"It seems to be directing us to the old elevators." Michael commented. "But those aren't supposed to work anymore. Everything on this lower level has been out of service since the new extension was built above it."

"I think this suggests otherwise." Janet pointed as they stepped through a pair of double doors.

The old elevators in front of them did look ancient, worn out and dusty...however one had the lights on its buttons still on, the electrical sparkles illuminating the dark room.

"This is a Portable Energy Generator." Michael gasped, fingering a rectangular object over at the side. Several wires protruded out of the box and were inserted into the wall's power socket. "It's at almost full power too..."

"So, someone's been here recently?"

"A few hours perhaps."

Janet hit the elevator button and the doors slid open.

"Wait, we don't know what could be down there!" Michael warned her.

"I'm going with my gut feeling on this one." Janet insisted. "Something just tells me this'll lead us to Zoe. So, you coming or not?"

Nodding, the Angemon stepped in as the elevator doors closed, beginning its descent.

* * *

"My Lord!" An Angemon guard dashed into Seraphimon's chambers. "I apologize for intruding, but this is urgent! The Guilmon suspected of collaborating with the underworld has mysteriously disappeared!"

"Have you deployed the search parties then?"

"Yes sir. We were wondering if we should increase the number of..."

"Lord Seraphimon!" Another Angemon came running in. "Very bad news! We've discovered that the Sacred Crystal has been stolen!"

"We enforced security since the incident last night! How did this happen?" Seraphimon asked.

"Sir, it didn't happen today, but possibly last night."

"What do you mean?"

"We did return the crystal to its case after last night's incident, but we've just discovered that it was a fake! It must've been taken by one of the Guilmon last night."

"Sir!" A third Digimon, an Angewomon entered the room, completely out of breath.

"More bad news?" Seraphimon sighed.

"The male Guilmon wounded in last night's incident has disappeared from the hospital. All staff on the level of his ward were also knocked unconscious by some sort of sleeping gas."

"It's all starting to make sense now..." Seraphimon realized. "Yesterday's attack by the Underworld Soldiers was nothing more than a diversion to allow their agents to enter undetected."

"We'll try to find the two suspected Digimon immediately." Angewomon declared.

"No, we are most probably already too late." Seraphimon told the three angels. "The Sacred Crystal may already be in the hands of the Underworld's dreaded leader. And without its protection, he himself will be able to enter our lands. Rally our troops and prepare our defenses. We must be ready to protect our home at all costs!!"

"But the crystal..."

"Do not worry. I have people taking care of that."

"Yes sir!" All three saluted and quickly exited the room.

Now alone, Seraphimon turned and placed his hand on the railing of his balcony. He would not have time to idle for long. He was needed by his troops, both for leadership and support, and he could not afford to let them down.

"Ophanimon...you know I will always trust you, but this is a big risk we're taking, both on the part of our home and our people."

(Thank you, brother.) Her telepathic voice entered the Great Angel's mind. (The Chosen Ones are our best chance, but I will need more time.)

"I will lead our people through this crisis."

(I too will play my part. This was my plan, and I will be personally responsible for anything that happens.)

"Ophanimon?"

Unfortunately, her presence had already departed, leaving Seraphimon alone in his ponderings.

* * *

The ride seemed to take ages, but finally the doors opened in a hiss of smoke. Covering their faces, Janet and Michael stepped out. Both stared at what they saw.

"What is this place?!"

"This looks like...no...it's the Underworld!" Michael gasped.

"You're kidding, right?" Janet muttered, stepping out into a large cavern, which lead off into several smaller tunnels. The entire place was dimly lit by only several rows of blazing torches along the walls. The orange glow of those flames reflected off the reddish stone walls, creating a forbidding atmosphere for anyone daring to enter.

Janet's Digivice began beeping softly and its on-screen map lit up, showing a flashing blue Dragon head some distance off from their position.

"This blue symbol has to represent Zoe, or at least her Digivice." Janet realized. "Maybe it was because she was down here that I couldn't track her earlier. Michael, we've got to get to her!"

"We should exercise great caution then." Her companion replied. "I've heard stories of the dangers this place holds and...quiet! Hostiles approaching!"

His keen senses gave both enough time to duck behind a boulder as a pair of Devimon marched pass, talking casually.

"That was close." Janet breathed, moving out to make sure the devils were gone. She accidentally kicked a small rock, which rolled down the slightly sloping tunnel that the two Devimon had gone down. "Crap!"

"What was that?!" The guards spun round, catching sight of Janet right out in the open.

Michael was still out of view, but had a look of horror on his face. Janet gulped as the guards approached her.

"Just what are you doing here?" One of the Devimon asked.

"I...erm..." Janet staggered.

"Yeah, you were supposed to go see the boss ages ago." The second added in.

"See the boss...?" Suddenly, an idea slipped into Janet's mind. Taking a deep breath, she did the best impersonation of a male voice she could. "Yeah, erm, that's right, I was. But see, I lost something and was looking for it."

"Was it the crystal? The boss'll be mad if you lost that!"

"Of course not! I ain't stupid enough to lose that! It was this gadget here." Janet scowled, tapping her Digivice. "But I ended up wasting my time. It's busted and I don't really think I can fix it."

With that, she un-strapped the Digivice and tossed it aside, conveniently towards Michael's direction.

"Oh? That's it huh?" One of the guards remarked. "Things never last long down here."

"Yeah, I'll **search** for another **one **some other time." Janet continued, giving a brief wink over to where Michael was hidden. "So, erm..."

"Let me guess, forgot where the boss' chamber is again?"

"Hey, this place is like a maze. Everything looks the same!"

"All right, all right." The Devimon growled. "Follow us and we'll take you there."

As Janet followed the guards down the path, Michael emerged from his hiding place to carry out his own mission of finding Zoe. Taking the Digivice in hand, he looked over first to Janet's direction and then to the area the map indicated for him to go.

"Please be careful, Jan..."

* * *

It wasn't long before the group arrived at a large pair of double doors.

"It's through here that the Master awaits."

Janet knew she was taking a large risk, but there was no turning back now. Nodding, she stepped forward and entered the doors, which opened into a throne room. Like the rest of the Underworld caverns, it too was dark and carved out of stone, only this place was more lavishly decorated with expensive-looking furniture and weapons.

"Ah, I have been waiting for you." A single black figure sat on the throne at the end of the room.

Janet bowed slightly before continuing on. As she approached, Janet realized the Master of the Underworld was a demonic-looking version of Seraphimon. Although fairly similar in appearance, his armor was white with green patterns and gold markings. He had 10 black, bat-like wings instead of Seraphimon's angelic ones and long red-nailed claws. Finally, the cross of his helmet was an 'X' instead.

It was none other than BlackSeraphimon. (From Episode 28 of Digimon Frontier.)

"So, you have the crystal?"

"It's safe...in a special place of mine." Janet replied, secretly fighting to control her tension. "But...I'd like to...discuss a few things first."

"Payment again? Humph, your kind will never change." BlackSeraphimon spoke immediately, which also gave Janet a secret cue. "10,000 credits was our pervious agreement."

"Yeah, but see, this put me through a lot..." Janet waved. "And I've reconsidered..."

It wasn't long before she managed to engage herself in a long discussion about the price for 'her' services. The fallen angel apparently loved to hear himself speak and went on to talk about how the Sacred Crystal would allow him to enter the Angel's Lands and take over his 'rightful realm'.

In the end, she managed to raise the deal to 15,000. Feeling that it should've been enough time for Michael, she told BlackSeraphimon that she'd be right back with the crystal.

"Wow...that's a relief..." She gasped the moment she was out of the throne room. "I'd better hurry! That ploy won't have him distracted for long!"

She took three steps round the corner and crashed into none other than the same Guilmon who'd set her up. Both hit the floor as the Sacred Crystal landed between them.

At the same instant, the two Guilmon looked up and stared into each other's eyes.

"YOU!!"

* * *

The heat was going from scorching to completely unbearable as the water boiled. Steam was rising from the only opening, the hole where her neck was held, making it even worse. Zoe had tried everything she knew, but there seemed to be no escape from her torture.

_Got...to...hold...on..._

Then, the door swung open as two Pico Devimon flew in, hovering out of her reach. Zoe made the best growl she could with the gag around her jaws.

"This is the one Ophanimon favors?" One of the bat-like devils asked.

"According to the Master, yeah." His companion replied.

"Then Dynamo did his job well...even if he is working for two Masters."

Even in all her agony, it was impossible not to take interest in that last phrase.

"Think Ophanimon will really come for her?"

"According to our Master, yes. She'd come even if it is a trap."

"In fact, she's already here. Eden's Javelin!"

"HUH?! YYARGHH!!" The pair of flying devils screamed as a rainbow colored energy ray blasted them into data particles.

"Zoe, hold still." Ophanimon commanded. "Hargh!!"

With a swift stroke, she used her javelin to cut away the restraints holding the cover shut and shoved the pot over, allowing Zoe to crawl out.

"Are you all right child?" The female angel asked with concern, helping Zoe stand on the wet floor.

"Urm...yea..." Zoe managed, ripping the elastic band off the jaws. "It's...a trap. They...want...you..."

"That I know, but I put you in danger by contacting you. That makes you my personal responsibility." Ophanimon raised a hand over Zoe's face and it began to glow in a soft, white light. "Try to relax for a while. This healing spell will help, even through not much."

Even as she did that, Ophanimon was carefully pulling Zoe away. Unfortunately, neither got very far.

"So, you came. As expected." A deep voice commented. "You could never ignore one of your charges."

"Cherubimon..." Ophanimon muttered. "Still trying to force your way into power? Even here, after you were banished from the Angel's Lands?"

"Shut up!! It was thanks to you that I was exiled, and I want my revenge!!"

"I gave you precisely what you deserved Cherubimon for that rebellion your staged!! Apparently you haven't leant a thing."

Supporting herself on Ophanimon's shoulder, Zoe looked up to see dark, virus form of Cherubimon hovering above them, flanked by a pair of Metal Tyranomon.

(When I give you the word, run.) Ophanimon sent Zoe a telepathic message.

"But..."

(Please don't argue! There is no time left!!)

"Perhaps I haven't, not that it matters now either way." Cherubimon scoffed. "DIE!!"

At his command, the Metal Tyranomon attacked.

* * *

The noise of the two brawling red dinosaurs brought BlackSeraphimon out of his throne room, only to stare in bewilderment at the scene.

"What's going on here??" He demanded.

"That's the traitor!" Both Guilmon pointed at each other and yelled.

The dark warrior may've been Lord of the Underworld, but even he couldn't tell the difference.

Suddenly, the Sacred Crystal glittered in the dirt, where it'd been tossed to in the struggle. Janet saw her opponent lunge for it and immediately sank her fangs into his tail, ramming him aside as he leapt up in pain.

With her opponent down, Janet went for the crystal. However, BlackSeraphimon kicked her aside and claimed the crystal as his own.

"At last!" He cried triumphantly. "The Angel's Lands will finally be MINE!!"

"Jeez, everybody wants to rule here and there and this place and that place..." The male Guilmon muttered. "It's getting way too old."

BlackSeraphimon glanced over to the two bruised dinosaurs.

"Tell you what, you two can fight it out, and I'll give the reward to whichever one of you who's alive after the battle." The fallen angel laughed. "If any..."

With that, he teleported away in a flash of purple light.

"Great! Now look what you've done." The male Guilmon yelled. "OW!"

Janet promptly punched him in the face, sending him rolling over.

"OK, Jan, I think we got off on the wrong foot, wouldn't you say?" He waved, rubbing his nose. "Let's start over. My name's Dynamo, I'm male, single, and free this Saturday night."

"Fireball!!"

"AURGH!! OW!!"

"Just to let you know pal, no one messes with me and gets away with it!!" Janet roared. "So stand up and fight you coward!!"

"Well, since you must insist." Dynamo replied calmly. He raised a claw and a blue Digicode Ring formed around it. "I'll show you another one from my bag of tricks. Guilmon evolves...BlackGrowlmon!!"

"Eep..." Janet sweat-dropped, staring up at the towering shape before her.

_And I don't have my Digivice with me!! _

"RRAARRGGG!! Exhaust Flame!!"

"YARGH!!" Janet dropped to the ground to avoid the fiery burst, and then took off running.

"Ooo...running away?!" The BlackGrowlmon taunted, giving chase. "Who's the coward now, eh princess?!"

"This isn't running away!! It's called a TACTICAL RETREAT!! AARRGHHH!!"

* * *

_Where...where am I...? What...? _

Sekata thought he'd come to, but everything still seemed like a daze. It was as if some hazy fog had surrounded his entire body.

In horror, Sekata realized that he couldn't move any part of his body. He could feel through that his Vritramon body was in an attacking stance; legs apart to balance himself with his wings spread out wide. Claws and tail raised, prepared to strike. Jaws open, as if in a fierce roar.

Then, he felt something...he was being moved. His vision was too blurred to make out anything clearly, but it was like he was in a dark room.

And he was being placed on a raised ledge.

Suddenly, the memories came back. He remembered the rows of those petrified Digimon...and his failed attempt to rescue them.

_But then I...wait...no...NO!! _

The shocking realization pierced him like a dagger. Sekata knew exactly where he was.

Aeromaru and himself had been added to the collection of living statues...and like them, would remain frozen there for all eternity.

Sekata regretted even thinking that because it unintentionally sent his thoughts into a state of dread and panic. As much as his brain was screaming commands, he couldn't get a single limb or muscle to respond.

_NO!! NOO!! THIS...THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!! NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!_

Then, the last of the light faded from the room as his captors departed, closing the doors behind them.

And leaving the dragon's cries of agony to reach nothing other than the dark, endless voids of his own mind.

_NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!_


	18. Forbidden Legacy

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Forbidden Legacy **

By nightdragon0

"Hey! Can't you at least stop for a second?! Hey!" Steve yelled, furiously waving his claws about. "Crap! Yargh!"

The Flamedramon had to jump off the tracks as a Trailmon Franken nearly ran him over.

"Sorry buddy, I have a schedule to keep!" The Trailmon called as it disappeared into the distance.

That left Steve standing alone, beside the train tracks, in the middle of the desert. And in addition to that, he was completely lost and famished.

"Geez! Doesn't anybody listen around here?!" He moaned, dropping to his knees. "If this keeps up, I'm gonna...gonna..."

Suddenly, he snapped up, staring with his eyes wide open. Just several feet across the tracks was a nicely decorated table, with an entire 12 course meal set up. Steve couldn't think of anything but rushing for it.

Unfortunately, it was also too good to be true.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Steve screamed as he bit into a large boulder, hurting both his fangs and his pride. "NOT AGAIN!!"

It had been another mirage, like the many others he'd seen. Frustrated, Steve banged his head on the rock.

"All right, I'm losing it." He admitted. "And it's not because I'm stuck in a dragon's body, but cause I'm lost in the middle of a f#&#ing desert!!"

Taking a few moments to rest, he considered the possibilities...none of them good at all.

(A thought bubble appears, showing himself as Flamedramon trudging along in the desert. A sandstorm blows past, and when it's gone, only a dragoniod skeleton is left, which crumbles into pieces. Another gust of wind then sends the skull rolling away.)

_Starvation, dehydration, sandstorms, being run over..._ Steve cringed. _Everyone has to be doing better than me right now..._

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Janet yelled, barely able to avoid another huge burst of flames.

She ducked into an alcove and held her breath as the footsteps of the BlackGrowlmon rumbled past her and slowly faded down the winding tunnels.

After a few tense seconds, Janet risked a peek out.

"I think I lost him..." She gasped.

Then, she felt a warm breath against the back of her neck.

"Boo!" A voice snarled.

Screaming, she dove around the corner and pressed her back to a wall as a column of flames rocketed past. Panting wildly, she struggled to catch her breath.

"Gargh...whew...huh?!" Janet realized the tip of her tail had been sticking out and was now on fire. "ARGH! OW! OW! OW!!"

Much to the amusement of her opponent, she started stamping on her own tail to put out the flames.

"Hey look! A Charmander!" Dynamo teased.

"Grrrr! Fireball!"

"Heh." Dynamo chuckled, catching the projectile and crushing it in his claws. "Let me show you what a real fireball looks like!"

"Ugh-oh..."

_Why does this always happen to me?! _

* * *

Ophanimon shoved Zoe to the ground and swung her javelin, deflecting one of the Metal Tyranomon's missiles into the other. The collision took out both projectiles, but also injured Ophanimon since she was too close to the blast.

One of the mechanical dinosaurs charged and Ophanimon summoned a shield in her other hand to block its claw swipes. She thrust her javelin forward several times, forcing it back. The second chose this moment to attack, firing at Ophanimon from the side.

She was barely able to swing her shield round in time, and the attack shattered the shield, throwing Ophanimon to the side.

"Ophanimon!" Zoe cried, helping her up.

"I'm all right." The female angel nodded. "Through that might not be for much longer..."

"I can help you!" Zoe insisted. "I can...ugh...still fight."

"We have to use the enemy's strengths against each other." Ophanimon hinted.

One of the Metal Tyranomon raised its right arm to fire, but Ophanimon managed to throw her javelin in time, impaling its knee. As the creature stumbled, the other one moved in to attack. Zoe then realized what her companion meant.

Leaping forward, she twisted the fallen one's arm, pointing it straight at the other dinosaur.

The resulting explosion both disintegrated the Metal Tyranomon and sent Zoe flying into a wall. However, the wounded one was not defeated yet, and pointed its weapon at the fallen XV-mon.

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon launched her projectile weapon, a circle of 7 shinning crystals.

The attack threw the mechanical beast over, tearing a large hole in its body. Even as the Metal Tyranomon let off its ear-splitting death screams, it continued firing its Giga Destroyer II missiles wildly.

Zoe covered her head as rock fragments flew everywhere. All the missiles being fired about would cause the cavern to collapse at any second. She was so distracted by this that Zoe didn't notice the attack coming until it was too late.

"Lightning Spear!"

Screaming, Zoe closed her eyes, only to be pushed away by Ophanimon.

"ARGH!!"

"Ophanimon!"

"Humph, don't worry, it's just a scratch." Ophanimon muttered, rubbing her waist, where the Lightning Spear had grazed her.

"You won't get away from me!" Cherubimon declared. "Lightning Spear!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

The two energy bursts collided, creating a blinding flash that caused Zoe to stumble backwards.

(Go! Fly straight up! One of the missiles created an opening that leads to the chamber above!) Ophanimon called out. (I know you can make it!)

"But, how about you...?" Zoe uncovered her eyes to find Ophanimon and Cherubimon squaring off in the middle of the chamber.

(You are one of the Chosen Warriors. Your destiny lies elsewhere.) Ophanimon replied without looking back. (However, this here is my fight.)

"Heaven's Judgement!" Cherubimon unleashed a barrage of dark energy.

Ophanimon leapt in front of Zoe to block the attack, then grabbed her and tossed her upwards.

"Go please!"

Reluctantly, Zoe spread her wings and flew for the hole. It wasn't just Ophanimon's insistence, but the impending collapse of the cavern that forced her to pump all her energy into her wings. Ophanimon stayed slightly behind, blocking and deflecting a frustrated Cherubimon's Lightning Spears.

The hole was a lot smaller and Zoe wasn't able to use her wings. That forced her to climb by digging her claws into the rock and pulling herself up.

"Ophanimon?!" Zoe called, glancing down.

(Keep going! This explosion is going to be big!) Ophanimon ordered.

Zoe could practically feel the immense amount of energy building up on the chamber below. Reaching out with her special senses, she managed to get a glimpse of the scenario playing out below.

"NO! I will not lose!!" Cherubimon roared, leaping towards the tunnel. "ARGH!!"

Ophanimon rammed him, using her body weight to force him back down.

"Fool! We'll both die at this rate!!"

"If you die, then it is your loss." Ophanimon replied. "But for me, I still win."

"Ophanimon!!" Zoe cried desperately.

Zoe's Digivice flashed as Ophanimon's symbol appeared on its screen.

"I'm sorry I could not answer your questions, child." Ophanimon's voice spoke softly. "These are answers you must discover on your own."

"Ophanimon!!"

Zoe was suddenly grabbed and dragged out of the cramped tunnel, barely in time to avoid being cooked by the pillar of flames that shot upwards.

"Here! This way!" Michael shouted, pulling her to the side.

The Angemon urged her down the path as the entire section of the cavern collapsed behind them.

* * *

"Now I've got you!" Dynamo grinned. "We're gonna finish this right here and right now!"

Janet cringed, backing into a corner. She was at a dead end and didn't have anywhere else to run.

"Any last words, princess?"

"Urk...erm...DUCK!"

"Huh?!" Dynamo absently mindedly lowered his head...and allowed a small shiny object to go sailing over.

"Nice one Michael!" Janet called happily, clutching the Digivice in the palm of her claw.

"Dammit!" Dynamo cursed, lifting his head up so fast that it hit the ceiling. "D'oh!!"

Janet lifted her right claw and a single ring of blue Digicode formed around it.

"Guilmon evolves…" Closing her eyes, she brought it to touch her chest, resulting in a reddish light forming around her body. Blue rings of Digicode joined the light as her Rookie form begun to melt away and change. "…Growlmon!"

With a roar, she rammed Dynamo with her shoulder, slamming him into a wall.

"Haha! This is when I like being a BIG dinosaur!" She laughed. "Hey, Michael! Zoe! You two all right?"

"I'll make it." Zoe, who was leaning on Michael's shoulder, nodded.

"Good thing we managed to find you in time." Michael added in.

"Rrraagggrrr..." Dynamo moaned, pulling himself to his feet.

"Exhaust Flame!" Janet fired off an attack that took him down again.

"Great work, but hold still for a while." Zoe flew up and pulled a shinny, glittering object off her left shoulder.

"What's that?"

"A holographic chip. Dynamo there used it to trick you into thinking a Devimon was at the museum."

"Sneaky b#&tard!" Janet growled, glaring at her fallen opponent.

"Don't feel too bad. He got me with it too."

"Oh yeah! Guys, BlackSeraphimon has the Scared Crystal!" Janet told her friends. "He's headed for the Angel's Lands above! You have to find a way to stop him! I'll join you after I take care of this clown!"

"You sure you'll be OK?" Zoe asked, concerned.

"I can go Mega if I have to!" Janet replied. "I'll be fine! Just hurry and go!"

Dynamo had recovered by this time and was about to attack when Janet tackled him again, shoving him down into another passageway, giving Zoe and Michael enough time to clear out of the area.

_Gargh! Got to finish this quickly! _Janet thought, struggling against Dynamo's powerful grasp.

She pushed Dynamo off her and activated her next evolution level. Bringing up claws, a single ring of Digicode formed around each one. Growling, she brought both together and crossed them in front of her face. The Matrix Evolution symbol, a pair of red and black overlapping triangles, formed in front of her claws.

"Growlmon evolves... MegaloGrowmon!"

"Looks pretty impressive princess." Dynamo whistled.

"Atomic Blaster!"

"WHOA!!" The black dinosaur rolled away as Janet's attack blew a large hole in the spot he'd been standing on.

"I can do more that look impressive." Janet snarled.

"Well, two can play the evolution game!" Dynamo grinned, his body suddenly glowing in a purple light. "BlackGrowlmon evolves...Black MegaloGrowmon!!"

Janet found herself staring up at an opponent who generally reassembled herself, except that the metallic parts of his body were a darker gray and the scaly parts a deep black. Unfortunately for Janet, he was about a head and neck larger, and certainly seemed more muscular in built.

"And you thought you were one of a kind, eh princess?" Dynamo taunted, clicking his cybernetic claws. "Well, guess you were wrong!"

"Holy shit..."

* * *

"Can you make it?" Michael asked with concern.

"I'll manage." Zoe panted. "I have to."

"You shouldn't over exert yourself." Michael replied as the pair approached the elevator.

"No, I owe it to Ophanimon." Zoe insisted.

Nodding, Michael helped her into the elevator and pushed a button.

"I fear that the Master of the Underworld is very powerful." Michael admitted. "I wonder how our troops are going to handle him."

"Not with brute force, but strategy."

"Sounds like you have something in mind."

"Well, basically that we have to get the Sacred Crystal away from BlackSeraphimon and back to its proper place. That'll work, right?"

"The crystal creates a barrier that prevents larger demons from entering our lands, but if they're already in it, I'm not too sure what will happen. Even so, obtaining the Sacred Crystal will not be easy. The Master of the Underworld will be expecting it from Lord Seraphimon and will not give it up for anything, no less bring it back to its place at the museum."

"Actually, he just might." Zoe grinned, holding up Dynamo's holographic chip. "Any computers we can use around here?"

* * *

"Seven Heavens!"

"Seven Hells!"

The two shimmering projectile clashed, creating a brilliant flash of colors.

"Humph, still as good as ever, I see." BlackSeraphimon taunted.

"Vile creature of darkness! Leave these lands or suffer the wraith of the high heavens!" Seraphimon declared, facing his evil counterpart.

Their battlefield was at the front of the crystal palace, both flanked by many of their respective troops. Throughout all of the Angel's Lands, no battle was even half as fierce as the one about to unfold.

"Never Seraphimon! I've awaited an eternity for this! ATTACK!!"

With that, the area exploded into a chaotic mingle of explosions, shouts and bright lights.

Amongst the clashes of the angel and devil Digimon, Seraphimon and BlackSeraphimon faced each other in a ferocious duel. The two armored figures threw off several projectile attacks before charging into close combat. Seraphimon blocked a couple of punches from his dark counterpart and managed to kick the fallen angel to the ground.

However, he spotted one of his generals, Slash Angemon (Guardian Angemon from Digimon World 3), being assaulted by a Skull Satamon. As the bladed angel received an energy blast in the chest, Seraphimon leapt up behind the demon and grabbed it from behind.

"Testament!" He shouted, sending lightning bolts through Skull Satamon's body, disintegrating him completely.

"Behind you!" Slash Angemon warned.

It was a little too late as BlackSeraphimon's attack struck Seraphimon from behind.

"AARRGGGHH!! Seven Heavens!"

BlackSeraphimon grabbed a nearby Devimon and used him as a shield to block Seraphimon's counterattack.

"That the best you can do?! Seven Hells!!"

The explosive blast knocked Slash Angemon unconscious and threw Seraphimon into the wall of the crystal palace. As he struggled to stand, BlackSeraphimon triumphantly walked over and kicked him multiple times in the chest.

"This is the...URRGHH!!" BlackSeraphimon's gloating was cut off when a Paildramon rammed him from behind.

"Hey you! Looking for this?!" Zoe taunted, waving her claw.

"What the?!" BlackSeraphimon stared, seeing she had the Sacred Crystal within her grasp. "Give that back you wretch!!"

"I'm going to put it back, so try and stop me!" Zoe made a face before taking to the sky. "See ya!!"

"WHY YOU!!" BlackSeraphimon roared, immediately giving chase.

Watching the entire scene, a weakened and confused Seraphimon staggered to his feet.

"That's strange. She wasn't holding anything, but why did BlackSeraphimon think so?"

* * *

"RRRRRRAAAAGHHHH!!"

"RRRRRUUUUUAAAAGGG!!"

The echoes of the two mechanical dinosaurs filled the caverns as the pair continuously slammed each other into the walls, causing chunks of rock to keep tumbling down.

With both their claws locked, Janet managed to twist her large body enough to attack with her tail. That was enough to force Dynamo to let go and allow her to shove him away.

"Double Edge!" She roared, leaping forward with her bladed arms outstretched.

"Hargh!!" Dynamo spun to the side, sending her flying into a rocky wall.

Janet crashed headlong, rolling over so her head was on the ground with the rest of her body propped up against the wall.

"I have you now!! Atomic Blaster!!"

The huge explosion shook the entire cavern. When the smoke cleared, nothing was left but a big hole on Janet's former position.

"Haha!" Dynamo laughed. "Sorry princess. Guess you...huh?!"

Suddenly, Janet's MegaloGrowmon claws burst out from the ground beneath him, grasped onto his ankles and twisted hard. That resulted in an utterly loud snap.

"AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGHHHH!! Dammit!! My ankles!! You broke my ankles you b#&ch!!"

"Oh, you expecting an apology for that?!" Jan roared, digging her way out from beneath. "Well, here's mine!!"

Janet lifted her opponent up above her head, spun round several times and hurled him into the wall.

"GGGGAARRGGGHHHH!! OOWWW!!"

_Now's my chance!_ She realized.

A multi layered ring of Digicode formed around Janet's right claw as she crossed her arms in front of her body. The D-Dragon's 'eyes' then begun glowing and she brought it together with the Digicode ring.

"Matrix Evolution!"

(Surrounded in red light, Janet's MegaloGrowmon body melted away, revealing the outline of a human beneath. Letting off a roar, she threw her arms open, allowing a new layer of armor to form around her body in a Spirit Evolution style animation.)

"Dukemon!"

"Hey! Mega against Ultimate isn't fair!" Dynamo protested from his spot on the floor.

"Look who's talking." The white knight growled, bringing up her lance.

"Atomic Blaster!!" Dynamo hadn't given up through, and started firing wildly.

With some help from her Aegis shield, Janet managed to move in.

"Royal saber!" Launching a series of lightning fast jabs, she took off both of the Black MegaloGrowmon's mechanical arms, as well as disabled his chest-mounted cannons.

With that done, she jumped back and charged up the energy beam from her shield.

However, as she did so, another symbol flashed. It wasn't just the Matrix Evolution symbol (the two overlapping triangles) which adorned the shield that was glowing, but something else as well.

This symbol happened to be the same one Janet had been worried about earlier, the one that also decorated Guilmon's chest and hands.

"Oh shit...the Digital Hazard..." Dynamo looked up just in time to see the glowing lights. "This is gonna hurt..."

"Final Elysian!"

"RRRRGGGUUUAARRGGHH!!" Screaming, Dynamo was once again sent flying into a wall. Only this time, his head became stuck in the rock, leaving the armless dinosaur to wiggle about helplessly.

"Now, it's really game over for you!" Janet shouted. "Final...WHOA!!"

She stumbled as the cave shook. All the fighting was about to bring the whole cavern down on their heads. Ignoring the cries of her immobilized opponent, Janet immediately turned and ran, determined not to be buried alive.

* * *

"Grrr...give my crystal back!!" BlackSeraphimon fumed.

"Technically, I can't cause it isn't even yours!" Zoe called back.

The dark warrior wasn't as fast as her, and Zoe was able to keep a relatively safe distance between the two of them. Winding and twisting, she managed to lead him between the roads and buildings, straight into the museum.

Immediately, BlackSeraphimon found himself surrounded by a squad of Angemon guards.

"Ha! Think you puny soldiers will be enough to stop me?! Seven Hells!!" BlackSeraphimon began firing off his seven fireballs, only to find that they simply passed through the Angemon. "What the?!"

"Holy Rod!"

"Guargh! What?!" BlackSeraphimon stumbled, having taken a blow to the back of his head.

"I've got it!" Michael shouted. "Catch Zoe!"

He tossed the shiny crystal through the air, landing it neatly in Zoe's claws. BlackSeraphimon punched him out a window for that and turned his entire focus on the Paildramon.

"How?! I've had the Sacred Crystal all along?!" He wondered. Then, he felt something at his neck and reached up to pull a holographic chip off. "Tricked by illusions?! Damn it all!!"

"Hurry, place the crystal back on the platform at the level below!" Seraphimon ordered, barging in through the front door.

"Got it!" Zoe replied, leaping down the stairs.

"Nice try girl, but you won't fool me again!" BlackSeraphimon laughed. "And I almost thought that was the real Seraphimon."

"Correction, I AM the real Seraphimon." The armored angel lifted his fist. "After all, could an illusion do this?!"

WHAM!!

Seraphimon followed up with two more punches before making a flying tackle that took this opponent to the ground.

"HURRY!!" Seraphimon called desperately.

* * *

"Almost there..." Heart pounding, Zoe raced forward and slammed the Sacred Crystal onto its platform.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the crystal abruptly emitted a blinding light. Zoe tried to let go, but found her claws were somehow stuck to the crystal.

"Hey?! What gives?!" She gasped, squinting. "Huh?! RRRRAAAAGGHHHHH!!"

Suddenly, she felt a tremendous surge of energy coursing through her entire body. The pain was so intense that she barely managed to stay conscious.

Rainbow colored lights then burst out from the crystal. They flew out of the building and engulfed every devil and demon currently in the Angel's Lands. All around, the angel soldiers stared in awe as their foes mysteriously began screaming in pain.

In the midst of her agony, Zoe finally managed to draw her left hand away from the crystal. Instinctively, it went for the Digivice on her belt. Althrough she couldn't see it, Zoe felt it changing.

It became more elongated, with two points emerging from the top corners as if they were horns. Two small slits like eyes appeared and a main screen where an open mouth should've been. The bottom, 'pointed' end gained a decorative pattern, making it look like a pair of jaws with sharp teeth.

It too was now a D-Dragon, sapphire blue in color with green eyes and teeth.

Finally, the crystal released its hold on her and Zoe soared up to where BlackSeraphimon and Seraphimon were. The former was furiously resisting the holy lights of the crystal while the latter lay aside, exhausted from his previous injuries.

Glowing with the Sacred Crystal's energy, Zoe brought her blasters up. Letting off a thunderous roar, the she fired. Then, time seemed to slow to a stop as a gigantic shadow appeared behind her.

It was a slightly larger dragon, the outline of its body shimmering in bluish light, something like a ghost or spirit. It was mainly black armored with bits of a blue and white body showing. With a quadruped form, leathery red wings, golden spikes, claws and a cannon mounted on its back, it would've been a truly intimidating sight if anyone had been able to see it clearly.

However, what everyone could definitely see was the powerful blue laser that shot out next...most of all BlackSeraphimon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

And with him, went all the rest of his troops.

* * *

"Ow...Zoe, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"Jan, I'd hit you really hard right now if I weren't bandaged up like a mummy." Zoe growled, wiggling slightly.

Several days had passed since the great battle and Janet was now sitting beside Zoe's bed in the hospital. Both were back to their Guilmon and XV-mon forms respectively, although Zoe's had taken quite a beating.

"Hey, don't move too much." Janet lightly touched her friend's shoulder. "The hospital staff had enough trouble with you yelling in your sleep."

"How do you think it was for me?!" Zoe practically yelled. "They bandaged my mouth shut! And they tried to shove a pill like, twice the size of my gullet down my throat. And they call themselves doctors?!"

"Looking at this, I wonder if you really did evolve to Mega level?" Janet wondered, holding up Zoe's new D-Dragon.

"I already said, I can't remember. All I could think off was blasting BlackSeraphimon to scrap...and BOOM! It happened!"

"Well, the boys are gonna be so jealous when they hear about it." Janet laughed.

"Say, that reminds me, we're supposed to be looking for them." Zoe spoke.

"Yeah, you're right. Any idea how?"

"It'll come to me." Zoe winked. "I'm a psychic, you know?"

"Are you serious Zoe?"

"Trust me." Zoe grinned. "I'll have help in high places."

Watching silently from the doorway, Seraphimon quietly closed it, nodding to Michael. The pair decided to leave the girls to their own conversation.

However, Seraphimon hesitated for a while and glanced back.

"Thank you, Ophanimon." He whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile, much further down the mountain, several rocks shook. Slowly, they were moved as a small hole appeared in the dirt. Finally, a large dinosaur head burst out of the ground.

"Gargh!! Whew!! Man, I thought I was gonna die!!" Dynamo moaned.

After all those long, excruciating days he'd finally managed to dig his way out from under the collapsed cavern. It would take a lot more work to get the rest of his body free, but for now, he just lay his chin down on the ground and breathed in the fresh air.

The sounds of footsteps caused Dynamo to snap his head up, catching sight of a very human-like Digimon. This one was dressed in a black suit, with 5 pairs of wings on his back. However, the wings on his right side were feathery and angelic, while those on the left were bat-like. Another pair of much smaller 'wings' on his head also matched this pattern. He had pointed elf-like ears and long blond hair hanging down over his face, which was also decorated with several strange patterns.

"Oh, it's you. Hey, things got a little messed up here." Dynamo said. "Erm...actually, it's BlackSeraphimon and Cherubimon who screwed up. I did everything you told me to, so it's not my fault. So, erm...do I still get paid?"

"You never fail to amuse me." The dark figure muttered, tossing a leather bag onto the floor. "Ah well, you did achieve your main objective of collecting information at least, so I'll give you some credit for that."

"Some credit?! That girl had the full power of the Digital Hazard!! I had to dig my way out using my mouth and tongue because of that!!"

"The Digital Hazard? Hmmm...you sure about that?"

"Positive! That thing's a trademark of my species, through not all of us can fully tap into its power like she could."

"I highly doubt the girl even knew what she was doing."

"Yeah, I know." Dynamo nodded. "They say you have to be able not only utilize, but control its power. Or else, you'll be completely overwhelmed, driven far beyond madness."

"Think you're up to the job?"

"Me? Of course! If I could get a hold of her Digital Hazard, I could show you what I can really do!"

"Hmmm...that just might be possible."

"Huh? Really?" Dynamo gasped.

"I'll hire you for another job. A much more, important one. Meet me back at the usual place once you're free."

"Hey, you've got yourself a deal!" Dynamo grinned. "And...erm...could you...erm...could you help me out of here, boss? Please?"

"You're a technical expert Dynamo, so I assume you'll be able to figure out how to do that yourself." His boss waved, casually playing with his long hair. "Well, see you later."

"Boss! Hey! Please!!"

Unfortunately the other Digimon had already departed, his footsteps fading into the distance. Groaning, Dynamo's head flopped down on the ground again.

* * *

"Gargh! Argh!"

"Will you sit down?! You certainly have a lot of energy for someone who's supposed to be half dead. Then again, you've been out for pretty much a week now."

"Huh? Oh..." Steve muttered, glancing around, blinking to clear out his blurred vision.

"By the way, that's two you owe me kid."

"Huh...you...you're BlackWargreymon!"

"Hmm...glad you still remember." The black, armor clad figure replied, folding his arms.

Steve now took note of their surroundings, finding that they were in some sort of large tent.

"Uh, exactly where are we?" Steve asked.

"This is a small Oasis Town, somewhat at the edge of the Araid Desert. I found you several miles away from here and brought you in. Let's just say you're lucky I happened to be making a little trip."

"All the way from that ocean city?!"

"Well, I took a Trailmon most of the way. That's what they're there for. Or perhaps you didn't know that they'll only stop at designated Trailmon stations?"

(Steve sweatdrops.)

"Thought so." BlackWargreymon huffed. "That's one of the things that made me suspect it was you. Only a kid from another world wouldn't know something like that. Or be stupid enough to go wandering in the Araid Desert without any supplies for that matter."

"Thanks a lot, old man." Steve muttered. "By the way...erm...any chances of there being something to eat and drink around here?"

BlackWargreymon simply pointed to a tray of food and a jug of water on a table next to his cot. Steve immediately leapt on them and devoured everything with such an utter lack of table manners that even BlackWargreymon snorted in disgust.

"Will you chill out, old timer? I'm famished here!" Steve grunted.

"Old timer huh? That's something you'll never be if you don't take better care of yourself." BlackWargreymon growled. "Well, I'd better get going. I'm supposed to be meeting someone here. He paid a generous sum to have me look at a couple of ancient artifacts he's found."

"You know about these sorts of things?" Steve looked up.

"I do a decent amount of research."

"Hey, then maybe before you go, could you tell me anything about this?" Steve dug up the Dragon Dagger he'd acquired not too long ago and held it up in the light.

"This..." BlackWargreymon sheathed his claw weapons and took the small dagger in hand.

"A couple of goons were chasing me for this thing, so I was wondering if it was something important."

"Could this be...?"

"You recognize it?" Steve leaned forward.

BlackWargreymon got out a PDA and brought an image up onto the screen.

"This must be the Dragon Dagger, one of the four legendary dragon artifacts."

"Legendary artifacts?!"

"A set of four weapons: sword, shield, dagger and staff. It is said that in times long forgotten, a great beast with unimaginable power was defeated by four holy warriors using these sacred Dragon weapons. Having been used to seal the creature, it charged the four weapons with mysterious powers."

"I have a feeling there's more." Steve muttered.

"Indeed, stories tell of many abilities gained by bringing these weapons together, such as traveling through time and even different worlds. However, the darker side comes about when the creature is brought back into existence. One supposed needs to spill a Holy Dragon's blood to call forth this unknown beast."

_So, that's it..._Steve thought, fingering the small dagger. _Maybe, maybe it just might be true. If we could get these four Dragon artifacts together we just might have a way to get back to our own world!! _

BlackWargreymon noticed the change of mood on the younger dragon's face, but decided to remain silent...for now.

* * *

"You know I do not make such deals about my children." D'Arcmon spoke, walking down the hallway of frozen Digimon with another humanoid figure, who was clad in pink armor with several yellow ribbons hanging from his arms and shoulders. "Why do you still persist, Mr. Junon?"

"You can cut the act out my friend. My boss knows all about you and your little 'look nice' scheme." Junon growled. He was a masked warrior known as RhodoKnightmon (or LordKnightmon, and in the dub Crusadermon). "The name Lord Lucifer sound familiar to you?"

"Ah, Lucifer is it? So, you must be his right hand knight. I've heard a lot about this terror of the battlefield."

"The beauty of the battlefield is what I'd personally like to call myself." Junon replied, sniffing a rose in his hand. "A majestic warrior certainly shouldn't be devoid of a much more befitting title, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's your opinion." D'Arcmon growled. "Well, this is the one, correct?"

The pair paused, now standing in front of the petrified form of a red dragon which was posed in a ferocious-looking battle stance. It was none other than the Vritramon otherwise know as Sekata.

"This one was a rather, 'difficult' persona. With all due respect, I hope Lucifer knows I won't be giving him up cheaply."

"Name your price." Junon muttered, folding his arms.


	19. Future Tense

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Future Tense **

By nightdragon0

All I saw was the blur...the blur I'd know for so long.

My world, shrouded by a hazy fog, in which time seemed to stand still. Not hour or minute would move.

Voices...there were voices...but dim, faint. No wait! There was a single clear one. Then, something else. A movement...? A blow, a strike, one after the other.

And suddenly, I was free, falling, collapsing to the ground. I lay there moaning, coughing and panting, my entire body aching and cramped after being confined for so long.

"Take it easy." A voice spoke.

"Is he going to be all right?"

"He's delirious. Let's get him to the medical ward!"

I felt myself being lifted up and lost consciousness after that.

* * *

The next time I awoke, it was to a voice. A somewhat familiar voice, calling out to me.

"Sekata..."

"Gargh..." I forced my eyes open, struggling to get up.

"Try to relax." A firm hand gripped my shoulder. "You've been through a lot."

I rubbed my face, trying to clear out my vision and found myself staring at a black, armor clad figure. Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, through it wasn't much larger than my Vritramon body.

However, the voice...

_No, it couldn't be._

"Zoe...?!" I staggered, having a great amount of trouble forcing the word out of my jaws.

"Yes, Sekata, it's me." She whispered, taking my claw in her own. "You remember, don't you?"

"I..."

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I...I was..." I cringed at the memory that suddenly shot into my head. That fatal mistake I'd made which had ended up with myself being petrified there, turned into a living statue.

Zoe apparently understood upon seeing my facial reaction.

"It's over now, don't worry about it." She said, squeezing my claw tighter.

"Zoe...you...you sound...so much older." I muttered. The change in her voice was the main thing that was bugging me then.

"Sekata...think you can handle it?"

"Handle it? What?!" I asked, eyes wide.

"It's been 70 years, Sekata..."

For a long while, I was stunned. I couldn't do anything but stare straight at her. Thousands of things ran through my mind at that moment, but Zoe's shaking snapped me back to her.

"Sekata..."

"I was...a statue...for 70 years...?!" I breathed, barely able to believe it.

Slowly, she nodded.

"You haven't aged a bit, unlike the rest of us."

"Sekata, been a very long time." A battered-looking Aero V-dramon stepped into the room, which I finally took notice as being a castle bedroom.

"Aeromaru! You're free too!"

"And I have her to thank for that." The blue dragon replied. "But you...you were taken somewhere else when your friends came looking. And no one's ever located you, until now."

"It's a lot to take in, I know." Zoe spoke. "A lot's happened in the time that you were gone, but if you look outside the window now, you'll see the most impending danger."

Confused, I pulled myself over to the window and glanced out. What I saw was the walls of the castle...a desolate wasteland beyond, stretching as far as eye could see. The sky too, seemed to glow with a reddish color, producing a rather forbidding aura. Besides the few Digimon I saw walking around within the castle area, there were no other signs of life at all.

"W...What happened?!" I stuttered.

"I'm afraid we failed Sekata." Zoe replied grimly. "We failed in our given mission. And the Digital World...paid the price."

* * *

"What could do such a thing?!" I asked.

Against everyone's protests, I'd dragged myself out of the room. Unfortunately, my muscles were still too stiff from the ordeal and I ended up having one arm around Zoe's shoulder for support.

"It wouldn't be wrong if I told you the D-Reaper." She whispered.

"You mean..."

"Yes, the one we all know." Another voice cut in.

The figure that stepped out was a knight in shinning red and golden armor with 10 white wings -- Dukemon Crimson Mode.

"Jan?"

"It's me all right." She nodded. "We've had it very hard all this time."

"It was the evil that we were meant to prevent from rising." Zoe continued. "And well, we didn't do a pretty good job, considering the situation."

"Is Steve...?"

"He's here." Janet pointed. "But..."

A very sad-looking Flamedramon shot a brief glance, then got up from his spot on the floor and walked away without a word.

"He doesn't talk, not any more." Janet muttered.

I hung my head, unable to believe that this was what became of my friends since I'd disappeared. I didn't have much time to think through, for the next second, alarms began blaring.

"The D-Reaper's agents! They're here!" A voice shouted over the intercom.

"Damn, that thing's attack and growing closer and closer each time!" Aero cursed.

The entire room shook, causing everyone to stumble. That was followed by several loud explosions and sounds of gunfire.

"Breach in sector 5! Repeat, breach in sector...AAAAUUURRGRGGGGHHHHHH!!"

I covered my ears as the scream was cut off by an awful hissing.

"Everyone, let's move." Zoe ordered. "Sekata, you stay here."

"I can help...ugh!" I grunted as Zoe dropped me.

"Sorry, that's not for you to decide."

Silently cursing in every language I knew, I dragged myself to the nearest window in the corridor and looked out. What I saw was the huge pink humanoid agent with long arms and golden circle patterns all over its head that opened into mouths (ADR-07).

I watched in horror as it simply stomped an attacking Allomon to the ground, crushing it completely out of existence with a pain-stricken cry.

"Positron Laser!"

That was Zoe's/Imperialdramon's attack, a blue beam of energy that tore through the creature, leaving a large hole in its body. Zoe fired several more times until it had been completely disintegrated, but was suddenly flanked by two more.

"Zoe!" I called helplessly.

"Quo Vadis!"

Soaring through the sky, Janet sent the lance her wielded straight through the agents, destroying them both.

However, there were still many more, and the defenders were pushed to their limits, many of whom didn't make it.

"HHHEELLPPPPP!!"

I turned to see an Agumon being chased by a couple of wind chime shaped agents, whose four arms were firing away (ADR-04). And none of the defenders were close enough to help.

"HELLPP!! SOMEBODY HELP!!"

I couldn't stand and watch any longer. In a burst of desperation, I rammed the window with my shoulder, creating a hole just large enough for me to squeeze through and hop onto an adjacent rooftop. I aimed my arm-mounted blasters, only to find that I couldn't get them to respond.

As the agents drew closer to their victim, I made my decision and forced my wings open. Taking a deep breath, I ran and leapt off the roof.

"Come on wings! Work! Dammit!"

Unfortunately, my screaming had little effect on my weakened wings and I dropped like I had a ton of gold bars strapped to my legs.

_NNNOOO! DAMMIT NNOO!!_

Suddenly, a blue shape swooped down and grabbed me before I could hit the ground. Still, he had a hard time slowing our descent and I slammed my head into the wall.

"Mom! I've got him!"

"Good! Rodi, get him out of here, now!"

I was partially aware that I was being hauled away. However, despite the chaotic noise of the battlefield, the one sound that reached me was the dying screams of the Rookie I'd failed to save...

* * *

"Just what the hell were you thinking?!"

"Zoe, calm down." Aero tugged her shoulder, but was ignored.

"I..."

"You could've gotten yourself killed out there!! This world isn't like the one you left, you know?! The dangers here, they're beyond imagination! I'll tell you, because I've lived through them!!"

"I...I'm...I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?! Is that all you have to say?!"

"Enough! Stop fighting you two!" Aero ordered, stepping in between us. "We've got enough problems already, and you yelling your lungs out at Sekata won't help solve any of them."

Zoe seemed to relax slightly, but she still gave me a furious glance, which was rather intimidating considering it came from a black, armored dragon knight.

Another Digimon happened to call her and Zoe stormed off. Aero gave me a 'stay here' gesture before following her out of the crowded entrance hall. Feeling utterly miserable, I pulled myself over to a corner and sat down.

"Hey, you OK there?" An XV-mon walked over, offering me a cup. "Pretty bad fall you took there. Lucky I was around to catch you."

"Guess I owe you, erm..."

"Rodi." He introduced. "Mom can be rather hard on people, but when you're the leader of this entire resistance group, guess you can't blame her."

"Mom? You mean...Zoe?!" I gasped.

"Yeah, that's her." He nodded casually.

It now occurred to me that Rodi was about the same age I'd known Zoe at before, the same age I'd remained at during my suspended animation. Damn, she was old enough to be my mom for that matter.

_Wait, but if she has a son, then..._

"Uh, you're that dragon from the statue, right?" He suddenly asked. "Oh crap, I wasn't supposed to tell you that!"

It was almost as if he knew what I was going to ask next.

"Who's your father?"

"I...erm..."

"Please, just tell me." I demanded, leaping up and grabbing his shoulders with a sudden burst of energy. "You can tell Zoe I forced you to say or anything else like that, but I just have to know. Please!"

"Aeromaru."

Immediately, I let go of the boy and dropped to the ground, trembling. It felt as if my beating heart had been torn from my chest and crushed before my eyes.

"You OK? You're kinda shaking pretty bad."

"It's not you Rodi, it's just..."

"Rodi, I think you'd better go."

"Dad?! I..."

"It's not his fault." I looked up.

"I know, I heard everything." Aero replied. "Rodi, please go see if they need help at the storage level."

Nodding, the young XV-mon quickly dashed off. Aero pulled himself into a cross-legged sitting position beside me and glanced at the ceiling for a while.

"I guess you probably hate me right now." He finally spoke.

"NO, it's not..." I began.

"You don't need to lie to me Sekata." He cut in. "I can see it in your eyes. Just let me say that I understand. I'd be extremely distraught too if that were me in your position."

"Why didn't she tell me?" I asked, almost breaking into tears. "Why?"

"She didn't know how to break it to you." Aero explained. "But she's never stopped having feelings for you, even after all this time. I've seen it in her too."

"She..."

"She stayed in this world to search for you, and the others stayed because of it. That was when things were peaceful at least, before the D-Reaper. The war's brought out her colder side, but she still cares."

"Zoe..."

"They helped me out too, and I...made a vow that I would protect her from then on. I thought I was honoring my promise, but...it's strange how it became more than just that."

Suddenly, I was up and running. I just don't know what hit me, but I left Aeromaru's concerned shouts far behind in another world.

* * *

For the next half an hour or so, I wandered through the unfamiliar corridors until I literally ran into a familiar figure.

"Humph, you're still the same Sekata." Janet growled. "Still rash and selfish. Digimon are out there dying. Our guys are here worrying, in fear for their lives, when the next D-Reaper attack is going to be and you're mopping about a girl you lost. And it was your own fault too!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled furiously.

"You know exactly what I mean, don't you?! You got into a situation you couldn't handle cause you were too weak!"

"Shut up!" I roared.

Without thinking, I threw a punch straight at her. Janet sidestepped and caught my arm, twisting it and forcing me to the ground.

"See? This is what I mean." She snarled, releasing my hand.

"I was just trying to rescue those trapped Digimon! Aero would've told you."

"Oh, like you tried to save that Agumon earlier? Try looking out for yourself for a change. At least until you're somewhat at my level."

"What's happened to you Jan? You've changed."

"For someone who barely knew me, you're a good one to judge. I'll tell you, I stayed in this world because of Zoe. She wanted to keep searching for you, and I felt then that I wanted to help her. That was the worse decision of my life and I'm stuck in this dump because of it...because of you."

"You're saying your problem is my fault?!"

"Yes! I'll admit, I was foolish and naive then. But I didn't get to my evolution level by staying that way. You've had the chances, but you just have to be the 'ideal' good-guy. You could've gotten the Second Spirit of Fire, but guess you were afraid."

"NO!"

"Afraid of the power?! Humph, power is what you need to survive." Suddenly, she kicked me in the face, sending me flying into the wall. "Maybe, just maybe, with that Second Spirit you could've done things differently. But that's all in the past now. Run back to Zoe now if you want. She may still have what you really need."

With that, Janet promptly left, leaving me to pull myself up, rubbing my nose in pain.

* * *

Eventually, I found Zoe on one of the upper levels, leaning against the balcony's railings.

"Zoe? I..."

"You found out, didn't you?"

"Yes." I gulped.

"Whatever way, it's too late now." She replied without looking back. "It's done."

"I understand you have feelings for Aero, but Zoe...you stayed in this world, because of me?"

"I'm sorry, that's all I can say. I wasn't worth your time. You should've just left me."

"Been around Jan have you? That's her current way of seeing things...and even I'm starting to believe it."

"It's all about me, isn't it?" I asked, walking closer. "It's all my fault, isn't it?"

"YES!" She boomed, spinning around. "We wouldn't be here now if you weren't such a weakling! You left me alone for 70 years! Think you can even make up for that?!"

"I...I..."

"Sorry..." Zoe muttered. "I got carried away."

"No, you probably have every right in the world to blast me with all that verbal abuse." I replied, moving closer.

"I never gave up searching, because..." She trailed off. "I don't know, really. I just wanted...wanted to see you again."

"You have, but..."

"This entire Digital World is currently..." She shook her head. "I thought I could handle things. I wanted to stand on my own, and not have to keep turning to you or the others for help. Guess I was wrong..."

"That isn't true! You've survived this long!"

"This is a battle we're still losing."

"Only if you keep thinking that way. There has to be something, some way we can take our opponent down." I placed a claw on her shoulder. "It's a lot for someone like me to say, but somehow...I'll have to make up for everything you sacrificed for me..."

_If I can do that at all..._

Zoe placed her claw over mine and turned around.

"Strange how you're suddenly so much younger than me." She managed a smile.

"You're only as old as you think..." I drew closer.

I was leaning forward when Zoe suddenly shoved me away. It startled me, but when the wall next to us abruptly blew up, I realized why.

"What the?! Steve?!" Zoe stared. "ARGH!!"

The fireball that hit her wouldn't be enough to badly hurt her, but it was enough to knock her over. I sprang up in a battle stance, facing the Flamedramon, posed intimidatingly on the nearby roof.

"Steve! What's gotten into you?!" I demanded. "Huh?!"

For the first time, I got a good look into his eyes. And I realized they weren't their normal brownish color, but a glowing pink.

"He's an agent of the D-Reaper!" Zoe cried in disbelief.

Steve suddenly fled, leaping further up the roof.

"Stop him...ugh..." Zoe stumbled, clutching her side in pain. "Hurry!"

I complied, spreading my wings, which were finally strong enough, and gave chase. Steve continued running, occasionally stopping to shoot. I dodged his shots at first, and waited until I was close enough.

As he turned to fire, I pounced, taking the burst of flames in my chest, but also managing to bring him down.

I frantically wrestled my old friend, struggling to subdue him. The raging dragon looked up, and for a moment, his eyes went back to their normal color.

"S...shoot..." His voice was sore and haggard, as if it took every ounce of his willpower just to get it out. "Shoot...me...don't...let...it...use...me...I...I..."

"Steve! What happened to you?"

"It...got...me...no time." Steve's trembling hand pulled my arm-mounted weapon to his head. "Shoot...please!"

"I...I can't!"

"Please! While I...have...RRRAAARRRUUGGGHHH!!"

Steve jerked up, throwing me off. I stared in horror, seeing his eyes had regained the pinkish glow.

"Steve! Come on! You can fight it...UURRGHHH!!"

His Fire Rocket charged slammed into my body, sending me rolling over the edge and into Zoe's arms.

"Sekata?"

"He's gone..." I muttered. "Couldn't stop him."

We were quickly joined by Aero, Janet and Rodi.

"It was him? The one feeding all our information to the D-Reaper?" Aero shook his head. "Damn, we should've suspected it sooner!"

"We do know where he's headed through." Janet said grimly. "The D-Zone."

"The what?" I asked.

"The source of the D-Reaper." Rodi told me.

"We...we have to follow!" I said.

"Are you crazy? That's pretty much suicide!" Janet growled.

"There, there just has to be a way!" I insisted.

"Either way, I think we do have to give chase." Zoe muttered. "For both his sake, and our own. If the D-Reaper finds out the current state of our defenses, it'll learn that we won't stand a chance against a full frontal assault..."

* * *

A long silence came over our party and we flew towards our destination.

The D-Zone turned out to be everything I imagined it to be – an entire area covered in a featureless, pink, gel-like substance.

"Look! There he is!" Rodi pointed.

Down on the ground, a lone figure was running very close to the borders of the D-Zone.

"Let's get this over with!" Janet declared, raising her lance. "Quo Vadis!"

"Hey wait!" I protested, through it was too late.

The shinning lance transformed into a white beam of light that rocketed towards its target. However, just as it was about to make contact, Steve raised his hand. The 'gel' form of the D-Reaper reacted instantaneously, part of it changing into a shield that reflected the beam back towards us.

The charge detonated in the middle of our group, throwing us all out of the sky, screaming in pain.

Desperately, I forced my eyes to keep open as my world spun. I tried spreading my wings to slow my descent, but then the pinkish goo came rushing towards me. And I reacted on pure instinct.

"Flame Storm!"

My dragon body burst out in flames as I was engulfed by the pink goo. For a long while, I was tossed about wildly, all sense of direction completely disorientated. Finally, I hit the ground...some rather soft ground.

* * *

My flames died down as I pulled myself up, finding myself still in one piece for the moment.

"This is..." I glanced around. "The center?"

The area around me was all glowing pink, as if some pink colored fog had completely shrouded the place. There was a definite flat surface, which I currently stood upon, forming the ground and several raised sections like small hills or obstacles.

I didn't have time to idle for long as more of the Reaper's ADR-04 agents attacked.

"Corona Blaster!" I roared, firing as I dodged their shots.

My energy bursts easily tore through the small creatures, but there were many more to replace any that had fallen. I was forced back, having to take cover behind one of the 'obstacles'.

"Crap! How many of theses things are there?!" I cursed.

"V-Wing Blade!" A white blast blew a dozen of the agents into dust. "Hey, you all right there?"

"Aero! Good to see you!" I waved.

The blue dragon was on the opposite side, firing from behind the cover of a 'pink boulder'.

"We can take these guys!" He called confidently. "Just..."

Another shape suddenly rose up behind him. It was mostly a featureless mass of pinkish goo, but then a 'mouth' appeared, together with multiple arms ending in sharp blades and sickles. The core Reaper itself!

"Behind you!" I warned.

Aero whirled round and sent another blast into the creature, tearing several of its arms off. However, one got behind him and tripped him up, sending him stumbling into the boulder he'd been hiding behind. And the core Reaper didn't waste a second in sending out the rest of its arms.

He took a blade right through the chest. Aero never got the chance to even scream as another one tore his throat open. Even more impaled his body from every direction, twisting and mangling it into a horrific mess of blood, bones and torn flesh.

"NNNNNOOOOOO!!" Forgetting everything, I jumped out from behind my cover and charged, firing like a mad dragon.

While I did manage to blast the remaining ADR-04 agents, the bladed arms came for me. A sudden sword slash promptly sliced them apart, followed to a strong grasp that dragged me away from the scene.

"He's dead! Now come on!" Janet ordered.

I half ran, half stumbled as she pulled me along. I was still dizzy with tension, but it was about to get worse.

The golem like agent (ADR-06) burst out of the ground in front of us. Jan swung her sword, but the creature simply knocked it away.

"Shit!" She yelled.

"X-Laser!" Rodi came flying in, getting a shot off before kicking the golem away. "Guys!"

A second golem creature emerged from the same spot, followed by a third. Rodi and I unleashed our projectiles upon one while Janet took the other with her fists.

A pair of fireballs suddenly slammed into Rodi's shoulder.

"RRAAUUUARGH!!"

"Steve!" I gasped.

Still under the D-Reaper's control, the Flamedramon approached swiftly, kicking me in the knee and driving an uppercut into my chin, sending me onto my back.

"Take that!" Rodi leapt and grabbed Steve from behind, holding him with both hands around the chest.

Steve heaved and brought his body forward, throwing Rodi over his head...and straight into the emerging arms of the core Reaper. One of the tentacles immediately coiled around his neck.

"Help! Gargh!!" He choked.

"Corona Blaster!"

I turned and fired at the core Reaper, which reacted by uttering some high pitched sounds, as if screaming in pain. Even while covering my ears, it was impossible to block out the dull snap of Rodi's neck. The creature dropped his lifeless body and went after Janet. She'd barely managed to finish off the golems and was caught unprepared by the storm of bladed arms.

Janet hit the ground as one of the blades pierced into her left thigh. Frantically, she reached out for her dropped sword, only to find it stuck in-between the boulders. And that was all the distraction the merciless Reaper needed.

"AAARRGGGHHHH!!"

I tuned away, unable to watch the scene. I was close to puking my guts out, but then I felt a sudden rush of wind. It was Steve, charging towards me.

Startled, I fell backwards.

However, he hadn't been attacking me, but blocking a blade from the core Reaper. And he took it directly through the head, the spike piercing the top of his head and protruding through his lower jaw. The color in his wide open eyes had changed and I realized he'd manage to regain control.

The blade withdrew, dropping the convulsing body into my face, together with a spray of red blood. As I looked into Steve's pain-stricken face, I felt the movements stop.

Cold sweat broke out as I realized he'd just bled to death in my arms. I couldn't do anything but drop his corpse and run.

Something fired at me from behind, hurling me face-first to the ground. Spitting blood out from my mouth, I glanced back to find a far more horrendous sight.

It was the bodies of my friends being broken up into data particles, swirling in the arms of the core Reaper. In front of my eyes, the Reaper reformed them into their former shapes...but not their former persona. The forms of Aero V-dramon, XV-mon, Flamedramon and Dukemon Crimson Mode all stood before me, only now all were completely black in color, wearing featureless expressions on their blank faces.

The Aero V-dramon and XV-mon attacked with their energy projectiles, creating a deafening and extremely excruciating explosion that took me down, leaving my armor cracker and tattered in many places. Flamedramon was suddenly on my back, who dug his claw deep in and ripped my wings off.

In the midst of that agony, Dukemon came with its sword and jabbed me in the side. As I fell, a lance was thrust through my back.

_No...I can't..._

I'd end up like the others...an undead slave to this abomination.

"Positron Laser!"

Zoe's blue beam tore through our former comrades, shattering their bodies to data bits.

"Sekata!"

"Zoe...everyone's..."

"RRAARRGH!!"

Aero V-dramon had been reformed and had fired on Zoe. The others weren't far behind it either. Zoe continued blasting, but no matter how many times she did, the undead dragons regenerated before she could finish all off.

Finally, she dropped down beside me as the others closed in on us.

"This is it..." She said grimly.

"We're...we're really done for?" I muttered.

"Unless you think you can use this." With that, Zoe opened her palm to reveal...the H-Spirit of Fire.

"It's the second Spirit!" I cried in disbelief.

"It's something I managed to get even when you rejected it. Not that it'll help me, but you can do something with it, I know it!"

"Combine the Spirits?"

"It can do far more! Hurry, take it, we don't have much time!"

"Hand it to me Zoe!" I called.

"I can't. You have to take it yourself or it won't have any effect!"

"Zoe!"

"Hurry!"

In my dazed state, I reached up. I was closing my fingers around the Human Spirit of Fire when I saw Dukemon/Janet coming up behind Zoe, raising her sword.

_Janet...Zoe...WAIT A SECOND!!_

"How did you know?!" I demanded.

"What?!" Zoe stared.

"How did you know I rejected the second Spirit?!" I repeated. "You and Jan! I never told anyone about it!"

"That's absurd!" She insisted.

"No, it isn't! What is this?! What's going on?!"

Behind Zoe, the sword came down...and suddenly, everything stopped.

* * *

"Damn, you figured it out. A couple seconds more and I would've had you."

I blinked. Everything...the D-Reaper, the D-Zone, Zoe and the others were all gone. I was standing alone, completely uninjured in a familiar graveyard. The one that was my 'Dream Realm', and I'd been here before.

_No, I'm not alone..._

"AncientGreymon!! It was you, wasn't it?!" I demanded. "Show yourself!!"

"You're lucky, I don't just show up when anybody calls, you know." The ancient dragon growled, appearing out of the mist.

"What illusions did you just stick into my head?!"

"Illusions, human? No, that was mostly your own doing. Humans have the most interesting subconscious minds, yes?"

"Shut up!!"

"It was your own dream to put it this way. Your nightmare, your fears. I just did a little, 'touching up' to make it go my way, mostly thanks to stuff out of your memories."

"That's why the Zoe in the dream insisted that I had to take the Spirit myself." I muttered. "It was because you needed me to take it."

"Clever, aren't we." AncientGreymon laughed. "Sure you still don't want it?"

"Go to hell." I spat.

"Ah well, you will sooner or later. Still, I haven't had this much fun since I kicked the crap out of the D-Reaper."

"There was a D-Reaper in this world?!" I gasped.

"Trust me, it was nothing like that wimpy one you had as an anime." He grinned. "Besides, what do you think took us, the Warrior 10, all of our powers to take down? Lucemon? Don't give me delusions of gander kid."

"Humph." I folded my arms. "Exactly how much of my dream did you manipulate?"

"What do you mean?" He whistled. "Oh, how I role-played some of your friends? I deserve an Oscar for that performance, don't I?"

"Wait, just who did you do that for?!"

"Mainly Zoe."

"WHAT?!" I screamed. "You mean the 'Zoe' I almost kissed...was YOU??"

"Thinking about it, the prospect doesn't excite me either."

"Jeez, you are utterly sick in the mind!!"

"Come on, you know that I definitely had it planned out so it wouldn't happen. Trust me on that one." AncientGreymon chuckled. "Though it has been a while since I've kissed. Unlike you...you keep missing your chances..."

"Gurgh!" I cringed. "Hey, you're messing up my life enough already! The last thing I want is being reduced to getting dating tips from you!"

"I've got about ten thousand years experience. I'll throw it in with the Spirit if you want."

"NO!"

"Well, was worth a shot. Anything else?"

"Rodi...I know he was far too real to be just a figment of my imagination." I mused.

"I'll give you a hint, I wasn't always AncientGreymon."

"Huh?!" I started. "You mean..."

"I suggest you stop talking now then. After all, that's something statues can't do." AncientGreymon remarked.

"What?! Huh?! NO!!"

I suddenly realized half my body was back in its petrified form, the same one from before. In the actual world, I was still frozen, covered by that film and held me in suspended animation.

I tried to scream, but my jaws had been immobilized by that time. And soon, the rest of my body as well.

"You know, you do look rather nice. I'd have paid quite a bit to have had you displayed at my old mansion." AncientGreymon walked up, tapping my petrified body. "One last thing, think hard about your little dream there. Just a dream...or a prophesy? Either way, it's out of your claws now..."

As the already blurred world of the spiritual graveyard faded into an even less certain living world, one last thought hit my mind.

_He's right...my fate...is now in the hands of my friends..._


	20. Shield of Lies

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Shield of Lies**

By nightdragon0

Far out in a desert area, a caravan moved along at a steady pace, dragged by a trio of Monochromon. Braving the fierce winds and blazing heat, the group marched on with their precious cargo inside the cart.

"Gurgh!" One of them moaned. "Just how much are we getting paid for this?"

"It's barely even cheap labor, it's slavery!" One of his companions replied.

"Damn, and Junon doesn't even have to be here! He's the one who's supposed to be in-charge of this stupid box and he's probably still in town, slacking off in some night club." The third complained.

"What's so important about this package anyway?" The first looked up.

"Who knows? You think they tell grunts like us anything at all?!"

BOOM!!

All of a sudden, the ground several feet away exploded in a burst of sand, sending the trio head-over-heels. All three released their hold on the caravan as they dropped to the sandy floor.

"Hey! What the?!"

Immediately, they were assaulted by a combined bunch of projectile attacks and weapons. The group scrambled, through they were unable to evade most of the blasts, leaving them scarred and bruised in many places. It was hard enough to even see where the attacks from coming from or how many there were, since their opponents were concealed within the sand dunes.

"Bandits!!" One of the Monochromon realized.

"Look! Not just any bandits!! It's the Sand Rogues!!" Another pointed his horn to the armored figure leading the assault.

It was recognizable as a Zanbamon, a humanoid warrior clad in golden armor, whose lower half of his body seemed to meld into the back of his steed, allowing the two to function as one.

"It's not 'him', is it?" The third Monochromon cringed back in fear.

After several more blasts, all three came to the same agreement. None of them would stay and risk their lives for this job. All three fled, leaving all their cargo and the caravan to the hands of the gang of highwaymen.

In particular, one thing they left behind was a very large crate with the words 'fragile' marked on it. Or rather, it was what was within that crate that was very important...

* * *

"So, who's this fellow you're supposed to meet?" Steve asked.

"I've never met the guy." BlackWargreymon told him. "He did seem quite sincere about his offer through, so I'll see."

"Man, this place is packed!"

"It's an auction house, what do you expect?"

"In the middle of the desert?" Steve wondered.

"This may be a small town, but the auctions here draw a great deal of customers." BlackWargreymon replied, lowering his voice. "Just beware, not all activities here are legal. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

"So, it's some sort of a black market?" The Flamedramon nodded, taking a quick glance at one of the many weapon stands lining the walls.

The Digitamamon storekeeper gave Steve a nasty look, but quickly backed down upon seeing his companion was a black, armored dragon knight.

"Yikes, nice place." He commented, beginning to feel rather nervous.

"At times, it pays to be tall and intimidating." BlackWargreymon muttered.

"That's easy for you to say, gramps. I want to evolve into something like that!"

"Patience is the mother of all virtues, kid."

"Humph, you're just saying that."

"Forget it. It seems like we're here." BlackWargreymon gestured towards a side door, guarded by a pair Dobermon.

BlackWargreymon drew a piece of paper from his belt pouch and showed it to the guards.

"Mr. Siavon?" One of the guards read. "Please go on ahead. We've been expecting you."

"Hey, since when did you have a name like that?" Steve asked.

"Kid, it's perfectly fine for us Digimon to be addressed by our general names. Some of us do have more individualistic names, and in my case, I needed something to fit into my business card." Siavon/Blackwargreymon replied. "However, you'll have to wait out here. They don't allow visitors in a private meeting."

"I'll be fine." Steve nodded. Then he added to himself. "I hope."

"Just don't cause any trouble and you'll be all right. I won't be long." His companion ordered before disappearing into the meeting room.

Left with some time to kill, Steve made his way through the crowded corridors and to a second story balcony. Below, the area opened into a large stage spanning 4 levels. This was where the main auctions were held. Leaning against the railing, Steve glanced down towards the stage and gasped.

The item currently on display was a large statue of a dragon. It was a Vritramon, posed in an attacking stance with its legs apart and wings spread out wide. The claws and tail were raised, as if prepared to strike, together with its jaws, opened in a silent, but ferocious roar.

"Looks almost alive, doesn't it? That's true beauty indeed."

Steve jumped as a pink armored stranger approached him from behind.

"Ah, apologies my friend. I suppose your mommy told you never to talk to strangers."

"Humph, I'm no kid, and I don't need your advice."

"You sure have spirit." The stranger sounded amused, through any facial emotions were hidden behind his mask. "My name is RhodoKnightmon, through you may call me Junon."

"Steve. I'm...a Flamedramon." Steve managed to catch himself before he could give away any 'private' information.

"You frequent this place often?" Junon waved. "This is certainly not one for kids, unless you're with some companions."

"It's my first time and I'm...erm...with my boss."

"I never knew Mr. Siavon the Blackwargreymon had an apprentice. Sorry, but I happened to see you with him just now." Junon nodded. "I happen to have heard he's quite knowledge in artifacts and craftwork. Must be good to be working with him."

"Erm, yeah."

_Great! _Steve thought. _Gramps is gonna kill me when he finds out!_

"Hmmm...the owner of this piece is Zakar, that Zanbamon down there." Junon pointed. "There's his associates: Vajramon the bull-centaur and Pajirimon the sheep-centaur. Vija and Pija respectively. Rumor has it that the three are always up to all sorts of activities in the underground economy. Heh, not like there's much justice around anyway."

"So, it'll do us well to stay out of their way?"

"Indeed. Still, it is quite a fine piece they have there, even if it's probably stolen. Why don't we go down to the ground level and have a closer look? Come on!"

Junon leapt over the railing and landed gracefully on the level below. Steve followed, through hesitantly, climbing over the bar and dropping down to the level below.

* * *

_God, what is this?!_

Sekata's vision was blurred beyond belief, but even he could tell that something was different. Something was bright...very bright lights, and beyond that, a large, wide open room.

(Ah, an auction house.) AncientGreymon's voice rang out in his head. (Well, well, you might actually be worth something after all.)

_Auction...?! I'm being sold?? NO!! I'm not a statue!! Can't they see?? I'm alive dammit!! _Sekata cried in his mind. _HELP!! Someone!! Anyone!! Let me out of here!!_

(Too bad no one can hear you, kid.)

It was then that he caught sight of something in the bottom left corner of his vision. Someone in the crowd was moving closer to his position on the platform. Someone familiar.

_Steve?! Steve!! Steve!! It's me!! I'm here!! HELP ME!! STEVE!!_

His Flamedramon companion seemed to be looking towards him with interest, then he turned to talk to another Digimon slightly out of Sekata's view.

Screaming in desperation, Sekata fired commands into every part of his body. Just a little movement, a little sound, something that would get Steve's attention. Much to his dismay, not one thing worked and he remained as stiff and petrified as ever.

Steve meanwhile, had apparently seen enough and was moving on.

_NO! Steve! Please!! Don't go!! Don't leave me here!! Steve!! NNNNNOOOOOOO!!_

It was too late through. There was nothing he could do to prevent his only acquaintance in the crowd from leaving.

(Oh, my poor angst-ridden friend.) AncientGreymon laughed. (What a spectacular scene you're creating. Too bad nobody's ever going to be around to see this, eh?)

_KISAMA...!! Mou urusai!! _(YOU...!! SHUT UP ALREADY!!)

(Omae, hoshii desu yo?) (Is that what you want?)

That really got to Sekata's head because it seemed like the ancient dragon was using his own language, and rather badly, as if to continue mocking him.

_Haven't you had enough of torturing me, you sadistic freak?! Don't think I'll ever forgive you for sending me into that false future vision!!_

(Really? At least I gave you to opportunity to wiggle your toes. Heh, that's something you can't even do now.)

_Get lost!! Just leave me alone!! _He roared

(Well, if that's what you want then.) His tormentor smirked. (Ja ne!) (See ya!)

Sekata felt AncientGreymon's mysterious presence depart, but almost immediately, another thing hit him. He'd been left to suffer alone...again.

_No! Wait! Come back!! Hey!! You tricked me dammit!! HEY!! _

This time however, there was no reply.

_RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!! _

* * *

"That tip-off was a little too convenient, don't you think." Janet asked, leaning back against the seat. "I mean, a letter being sent to our quarters with no return name or address."

The pair had their own private cabin in a Trailmon drawn carriage, courtesy of Seraphimon and the others.

"Probably is, but someone seems to want us to go find these Dragon Artifacts." Zoe replied. "Considering the story Seraphimon told us about these artifacts possibly having the ability to cross worlds, it might just be right up our alley."

Their train pulled up and stopped at a station, pausing as passengers both alighted and boarded. Zoe was staring out the window when she suddenly jumped up.

"You think you can handle checking the location out by yourself for a while?"

"No problem, but what..."

"There's something important I have to do at this stop!" Zoe called, waving her D-Dragon. "You have my e-mail, right? We'll keep in touch! I'll probably be on the next train there!!"

The XV-mon dashed for the exit and barely made it out in time, leaving Janet to stare and wonder just what had commanded the attention of her friend.

"She's changed a lot." Janet noted. "Well, I guess she knows what she's doing."

Out on the platform, Zoe pushed her way through the crowd as the train departed. She'd seen it only for a brief instant, but she was certain it was him. Finally, she made it to one of the electronic notice boards and looked over it.

There was an article about an 'Annual Rock & Roll Concert/Competition', and with it a picture of several figures on a stage. One of them was a Vritramon wearing a pair of goggles, a headset and standing in the center of the stage. Another noticeable Digimon was a Sagittarimon at the rear.

"Sekata?" She wondered. "Then, could that be Steve with him? What were they doing there?"

* * *

On another side of the station, Dynamo watched as the train departed.

"Hmmm...princess and her blue friend split up. Wonder what's with that?" He muttered. "Well, at least princess is headed towards the castle."

He pulled out a laptop and began typing on it.

"She'd better. It took me a whole lot of trouble to write that letter after she literally cut my arms off." He growled, rubbing his Guilmon claws together. "Luckily, I had some connections to get them re-attached."

Dynamo looked up to make sure no one was close enough to hear his musings, and then continued with his work.

"I set them up really well this time. I just hope Junon does his part..."

* * *

"Well, what did you think?"

"It just looked so cool up close!" Steve nodded. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that thing was Sekata."

"Who?" Junon queried.

"Oh, just a friend of mine. Well thanks, but I think I'd best be going now."

"Ah yes, better not keep your boss waiting. Till our paths cross again then." Junon waved a hand as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Gee, guess there are some pretty nice mons around." Steve remarked as he made his way back to the meeting room, where the found the guards gone, the room locked and Siavon waiting for him outside.

"There you are! I was about to come looking for you."

"Hey, I told you I could handle myself, right? Anyway, what did your client say?"

"He showed me some photos of what seemed like the aforementioned Dragon shield. However, he decided that he wanted to show me the actual artifacts in some more private place and extended an invitation to his private residence for tomorrow."

"Think you can get me in this time?" Steve asked. "This is some information that could really help me out!"

"I promised that I would help you do so, and thus, I told them you were my apprentice." Siavon winked beneath his armored helmet.

"Erm, hehehe, what a coincidence." Steve said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, erm, nothing. I think it's sorta cool, that's it." He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Good, so…catch!" Siavon called.

"Huh? Urgh!!" Steve struggled to balance as a large and heavy bag was thrown into his arms. "Hey! What gives?!"

"If you're going to be a convincing apprentice, you'd better start playing the part. And you can begin by carrying that. I'll warn you too, I'm a hard employer!"

"Gurgh! This thing weighs a ton! And when did being an apprentice have to do with carrying his boss' bags, old timer?"

"Another thing, you will address me as 'Sir' from this point forward."

"Yes….Sir." Steve sighed.

"Don't tell me you're worn out already? You've still got to clean out our tent tonight, so you'd better get moving if you want to get any sleep at all." Siavon continued as he started walking.

Steve moaned before dragging himself along. He could practically imagine the dragon man laughing beneath his helmet.

* * *

Sitting on a ledge above, Junon watched as the pair departed.

"Hmm...don't know what my higher-ups have in mind, but I certainly paid a lot to get the Flamedramon's friend stolen."

Turning his head, he glanced down and continued to watch the auction of the poor, petrified Vritramon.

"Well, that's my part done." He said to himself.

* * *

Searching the town next to the station had proven to be of little help. From what little information she'd managed to get, there certainly was such a competition that had happened a while ago. However, it seemed that it was disrupted partway and never completed.

Its participants too, seemed to have moved on.

In end, Zoe found herself sitting at the station and having a drink while waiting for the next train to arrive. In the midst of her musings, she found herself staring at her reflection in the panel of a glass window.

_No…not my real reflection. _Zoe shook her head. _It's strange through, how I've gotten used to calling this blue dragon in the mirror 'myself'. I've gotten used to having a snout and having a horn on my nose, so much that I barely even think about it anymore. It almost scares me… _

"Then, you heard about that vigilante Aero V-dramon who disappeared?"

"The one who was supposed to be investigating the case about the recent Wild One attacks?"

"Well, they're still coming, so obviously he didn't or hasn't done too much."

"Yeah, heard he was Aeromaru, three time champion of the D-1 Battle Tournament. Wonder what happened to him?"

"He's supposedly pretty tough. I think he had a group that took care of some raging dragon problem sometime back, something like a Vritramon."

Zoe snapped up at hearing those voices, a conversation between a pair of Candlemon hovering nearby. The Aero V-dramon they were talking about could only be the one she knew.

"Excuse me, sorry to eavesdrop, but have you heard anything more about this Aeromaru?" She asked.

"Sorry, but we haven't." One of the Candlemon replied. "You an acquaintance of his?"

"Well, sort of…"

"Was wondering. You're both blue dragons after all."

"Erm, yeah." Zoe blushed. "In that case then, anywhere you know that I could get more information on the Wild Ones incidents? It was pretty much the talk of the town."

"Hmmm…" The flame on one of the floating candle's heads burnt more intensely as he thought. "There's this lady who lives in a gigantic white mansion up a hill at the outskirts of town. She's supposed to be an expert on both Wild Ones and dragon-type Digimon, which is what most of the Wild Ones around here are."

"Can you give me directions?"

* * *

Elsewhere, Steve and Siavon had left the Oasis Town and had taken a train further down south, to a larger city at the edge of the desert.

Navigating the twisting streets, they'd arrived at a huge, black colored mansion and had been shown to a dining room with a grand feast prepared. Apparently, the Master of the Mansion was currently busy, but Steve certainly didn't mind helping himself to the food.

"Hey, it's really good!" He gobbled. "Must be a pretty nice guy to be giving us all this."

"Hmmm." Siavon nodded. "I'm not really used to the 'good' life."

"Well, it's not too hard to enjoy, so lighten up and don't look so glum."

"I'm a little worried, that's all."

"Come on!" Steve put a claw on his shoulder. "We make a great team, don't we? I'm sure the two of us could take on just about anything!"

"You're certainly an optimistic one."

"Greetings honored guests." A Dobermon walked in. "I'm afraid the Master will be delayed for a little longer. He sends his sincere apologies for making you wait. In the meantime, could we invite you to relax at some of our other recreational facilities? We have a five-star Jacuzzi upstairs."

"Really?!" Steve beamed, eyes wide. "This place just keeps getting better and better! Hey, can I take a dip, please?"

"Oh, fine." Siavon snorted. "Just don't break anything."

"Yeah, don't worry." Steve waved.

"This way sir." The Dobermon gestured.

As Steve was walking past, his companion leaned close to him.

"You have the Dragon Dagger, right?"

"Right here, don't worry." Steve patted his belt pouch. "It's not going anywhere."

"Good, just don't lose it."

* * *

"This must be the place." Zoe muttered, gazing up at another huge mansion, somewhat similar to the one Steve was in at that moment. "Well, no point in just standing at the doorstep."

With that, she walked up and rang the doorbell. A Dinobeemon opened the door, giving her an intimidating stare. However, Zoe would not be turned away by just that.

"I'm looking for the master of this house."

"Sorry, but she doesn't take uninvited visits. The Master is a very busy lady." He growled.

"Pease, this is important. I'm looking for some information on the Wild One attacks, and the Aero V-dramon who was investigating them."

"Hmmm…well in that case…" Dinobeemon's attitude seemed to undergo a sudden change. "Well, I supposed I could get her out of her packed schedule to do lunch. She is the expert on those things. Besides, you're kinda cute too."

WHAM!! Zoe furiously kicked his knee.

"Humph, pervert!" She promptly spun round and started walking off.

"Wait! Ow! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way!" Dinobeemon limped after her. "Please! Just give me a chance!"

"Well, all right then."

"Yes, thank you! I'd get into big trouble with the Master for that, so please don't tell her, OK?" He begged. "I'll show you to the waiting room, pronto!"

_Hmmm...is it just me, or is this fellow acting rather weird? It's as if he really doesn't want me to leave..._

Dinobeemon showed her into the large entrance and led her further into one of the hallways.

"My boss is currently away, so you may have to wait for a while."

"That's fine by me."

The insectoid rummaged through his belt pouch before looking up.

"Just give me a minute, I brought the wrong set of keys."

As he dashed into another corridor, Zoe glanced around the area. This was certainly an elegant mansion, judging from its interior design, with wide open halls, stained glass windows, decorated oak doors and a spiral staircase leading to the level above.

It so happened that her gaze fell upon a door at the side. It was partially hidden due to the lack of lights nearby, plus it was made of gray colored steel, blending it with the shadows. Curious, Zoe moved forward and reached out to touch the doorknob, which she found to be locked.

Suddenly, she stumbled back as a vision flashed into her mind. What she could make out from it was a row of statues, only that there were screams of anger and desperation in the background.

"Whoa there XV-mon, you OK?"

Zoe realized she was leaning against an adjacent wall, holding her head as Dinobeemon had returned. Fortunately, he hadn't caught her doing anything suspicious.

"Uh, just felt a little faint just now, but I'm all right." Zoe lied.

"Glad to hear that. Anyway, this way please." Dinobeemon indicated.

The pair entered an equally extravagant guest room with a tray of drinks and refreshments set up.

"Just relax and make yourself feel at home. My boss should be here shortly."

Zoe nodded as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

"And, in the meantime." Dinobeemon took the seat across the table. "I thought I could, sorta get to know you better. You know, a little introductions and stuff."

"Don't think I have much to say." Zoe growled.

"Aw, come on. Well, you probably don't trust me and stuff, but hey, I understand." He beamed. "Actually, I haven't got much to say about myself either. Other than working as the Security Guard/Butler around here."

"I'm just a traveler. A curious one, I guess." Zoe scratched her head, trying to come up with something to say.

"You were looking for that Aero V-dramon guy, right? Aeromaru was his name?"

"He's...an old friend of mine."

"Haha, I get it, you're worried about him."

"Yeah, heard he went missing."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find him eventually. Things have a strange way of working out." Dinobeemon raised one of the glasses of lemonade. "Cheers."

"I suppose." Zoe replied, taking a sip.

Although they continued talking, Zoe felt that everything was becoming extremely blurry. It was like she was just...getting very...very...sleepy...

* * *

"Aaahhhhhh, this is the life." Steve let out a long breath as he lay back in the swirling waters of the Jacuzzi.

After the hard times he'd been through recently, this was certainly a welcomed change. He'd simply tossed off all the parts of his Flamedramon armor and made a beeline straight into the warm, inviting tub. And such, his mask, vest, gauntlets, thigh and ankle guards all lay messily tossed to the side.

He slowly sank down, with only his head and neck above the water. It was such a relaxing feeling that he could barely feel his own body anymore and...

"Gargh!" Steve's instinct was to jump up, only to find that he couldn't.

In horror, he found his body was incased in cement all the way up to his neck. As he glanced across the Jacuzzi, he spotted a bag at the edge marked 'Quick Drying Cement Mixture – Just add water'.

"Damn! Hey! What the hell is this?!" He screamed, struggling to no avail.

"Now you're in a sticky situation, ya?"

"Beelzebumon??"

The tall, dark biker calmly walked into the bathroom, followed by a second, armor-clad figure.

"Siavon?! Hey, help me!! What's going on?!"

"Isn't it obvious, yeah?" Beelzebumon smirked.

"Wait a minute!" Steve realized. "Siavon!! You're on their side now?!"

"That's funny, I don't recall saying I was on yours." Siavon growled, folding his arms "Although I did say I'd help you find the artifacts, and here's one now."

He held up a circular golden shield with several odd characters and patterns on its surface, though it was the least of Steve's concerns right now.

"CRAP!!" Steve cursed.

"And you're very conveniently holding on to the dagger for us." Beelzebumon grinned.

Steve could only watch helplessly as Siavon knelt over and searched through his armor, coming up with the small dagger in his hand.

"It's a fake." The black dragon muttered.

"Yeah, so now we just...huh?! What?!" Beelzebumon yelled.

"I said it was a fake." Siavon repeated. "The quality of the metal is of a much lower grade. Besides, I wouldn't be able to do this to the actual thing."

Grasping the dagger in both hands, he easily snapped it in half.

"All right buddy, where'd you stuff the real one?" Beelzebumon demanded, grabbing Steve around the neck.

"Gargh! Hey! That was the real one! It was right there, I swear!"

"You seriously think he'll tell you?" Siavon remarked.

"In that case, we'll just have to use some, painfully convincing methods, ya?"

Steve gulped.

"But not here, so better take him with us." Beelzebumon ordered. "Besides, he ain't going anywhere fast, ya?"

Siavon moved closer to Steve and held a spray can up to his face.

"Sorry about this." The BlackWargreymon whispered, before letting lose with a burst of the strange-smelling gas.

Steve found himself gagging and choking for a while, before finally losing consciousness.

* * *

"Rargh!! Dammit!! That b#&tard spiked my drink!!" Zoe roared, banging on the locked door.

She'd awakened to find herself in a dark room barely larger than her old high school locker. And quite predictably, it was locked from the outside.

"Hey! Let me out of here!! Somebody out there?? Hhheeyyyy!!"

Zoe started as a metal object was suddenly slid beneath the door and against her foot. Groping in the darkness, she realized it was a large key.

"That's the key for the door." A soft voice spoke from outside. It was definitely one which she hadn't heard before. "Get yourself out, and please leave here immediately. For your own good!"

"Wait! Who are you?!" Zoe demanded.

"I can't stay, or I'll get caught. Please, this is a terrible place. Go as soon as possible!"

"Hold on!"

When there was no reply, Zoe fumbled with the key and managed to get the door open. Blinking in the light, she stepped into a hallway. Zoe recognized to be the second level that she'd seen while Dinobeemon had been leading her through the corridor below.

Cautiously, she moved towards the spiral staircase and peered down.

_All clear..._

Hopping down, she examined the surroundings once again. All seemed as they were before, except...

"That hidden gray door!" She gasped.

Someone had been careless and had left the door slightly ajar. Zoe approached it, but as she did, she was instantaneously hit by the same vision as before.

"The same row of statues, the same sensation of anger..." She muttered. "Something is seriously wrong with this mansion."

Merely touching the door seemed to give her the chills, but she pushed those feelings aside and pressed on. This led her down another long flight of stairs and into a darker but much larger and roomy hallway with a high ceiling.

And lining that entire hallway, were what had been the source of those feelings. On the platforms, that had been cut into the side of the walls, stood the statues of various species of dragon and dinosaur Digimon.

Zoe didn't know how she knew, but this particular place was giving off a dreadful aura. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the source of the disturbance.

What she saw, however, was something she was completely unprepared for. It was like she was seeing through dozens of different pairs of eyes at once.

Various scenes popped up. Zoe could tell that they were being attacked by some sort of machine. A shroud of whiteness followed and then came a blurred, foggy vision. Even in that view, it was like they were moving, through not of their own will. The feelings then stirred up...anger, hate, despair, desperation...

Although the flash lasted but a few seconds, it took Zoe a lot of willpower to keep herself from screaming out.

Leaning against one of the platforms, she stared up at one of the statues.

"What...what's going on here...?!"

Suddenly, all the lights in the hallway came on at once.

* * *

"Steve, wake up! You all right?"

"Ugh..." Steve moaned, opening one eye, then another. Slowly, his vision cleared...and he found himself staring into the face of Siavon. The armored dragon grabbed and held his jaws shut before he could react.

"Shhh...listen, I'm really sorry about just now, but I needed to use you as bait to get into their operation." He whispered hastily. "I'm going to let go now, but keep your voice down."

"Gee, thanks a lot old timer." Steve growled, utterly annoyed.

Steve was still stuck in the block of cement, only the location had changed. He'd been loaded into the back of some moving vehicle, a large truck with a canvas cover over its rear cargo storage area.

"Believe me, you're getting luxury treatment." Siavon told him.

"Luxury?! I'm trapped in cement up to my neck! My chin's itching like hell and I can't scratch it!! Have you lost it you crazy old fool?! And just what's going on?!"

"Hey, the original plan was to strap you to the dining table, dismember you, then gouge your eyes out and remove your tongue, snout and genitals. And then burn your stumps with hot irons before throwing your limbless remains onto the street. But I told them I thought it was too messy and they agreed, deciding to make you part of a castle wall instead."

"Erm...okay..." Steve muttered, turning white in the face.

"Anyway, in response to your second question, Beelzebumon was the one I've been seeing all this while, and he has some great interest in those Dragon Artifacts too."

"That, I've sort of figured out on my own."

"But he's not alone. He's working with several other top smugglers under a warlock known as Daemon. However, I don't know yet about what they intend to do with the artifacts."

"Can't be anything good, especially if they're as powerful as you think they are." Steve nodded. "One thing I want to know is, why get yourself involved?"

"I...don't really know."

"Huh?"

"I just...don't know what those Dragon Artifacts could be used for in the wrong hands." Siavon muttered. "I don't want to let that happen. I just feel it's..."

"The right thing to do?"

The armored figure was silent for a while, then he slowly nodded.

"I'll have to put this gag back on you now." Siavon informed him. "You won't like it, but try to get some rest. We'll have a hard battle ahead and I'll find a way to release you before then."

"Speaking of that, what happened with the Dragon Dagger?"

"Look down here." Siavon raised his right hand, with the claw weapon on. With his other hand, he twisted one of the three 'fingers', revealing it to be the dagger. "Switched it right in front of Beelzebumon's eyes. Don't worry, I promise I'll look after this one."

"Hey Siavon..." Steve looked him in the face. "Promise too that we're on the same side this time?"

"I give you my word, upon my pride as a warrior." Siavon declared.

"That's enough for me." Steve smiled. "I knew there was something about you, old timer. Some feeling just told me that I could trust you, and..."

"Oh, don't go all mushy on me!" Siavon snarled, strapping the gag around Steve's jaws.


	21. Eternal Life

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Bandai/ Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Eternal Life**

By nightdragon0

"All right, end of the line! Everybody off!" The Trailmon ordered, letting out a long whistle as he backed out of the station and quickly disappeared from view.

"Gee, what a dump." Janet muttered. "I can see why no one else stayed on this line till the end."

The station platform she currently stood on was old, worn down and dusty. Its colors were faded and its paint peeling in many places. The surrounding area was no less gloomy, being a dark forest overlooked by a dim and cloudy sky. The trees too were bare and dying.

"OK, following the directions the message gave me..." Janet brought up her Digivice and flicked on its holographic map. "There!"

The glowing arrow pointed towards a long, leaf-covered dirt path which led into the forest. Beyond that were several large hills.

Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance. Jan gasped upon seeing a large building located on top of one of the hills.

"Well, seems that's where I'm going. Swell..." She shivered. "Hey, what am I afraid of?! All I need to do is flick my Digivice here and I become one kick-ass Mega Digimon!"

Reassured of herself, Janet caught her breath and began her long trek in.

However, she hadn't really been alone on the train. Because moments after she left, a claw reached up and pulled himself up onto the platform.

Grinning, Dynamo rubbed his claws together.

"This is gonna be fun!"

* * *

"Your ability certainly is fascinating." A strong female voice rang out.

Zoe spun round to face the top of the stairs. There, stood Dinobeemon, together with another Digimon recognizable as D'Arcmon.

"Are you the 'Master'?" Zoe demanded, snapping into a fighting stance.

"If that's what you'll call me, yes." D'Arcmon laughed, calmly descending the stairs.

"What's going on here?! This place is...the air itself seems to boil with anger!"

"A psychic such as yourself should've figured it out by now."

Zoe glanced down the row of 'statues' until her eyes fell upon a familiar one.

_That Aero V-dramon! Aeromaru?! And all those emotions I've felt. Wait, then this means..._

"These...these are living Digimon!!" She stuttered.

"Incased in a special film." D'Arcmon waved. "They have no need to fight, no need to hunt or eat. Free from the hardships of life, free to enjoy the happiness of eternal life."

"You're insane!"

"Humph, just like that red dragon before. You'll never understand, so there's no point in trying to convince you. Dinobeemon, dispose of her."

"With pleasure!" The insect growled.

Zoe rolled away as he came charging down.

"Damn! I knew there was something fishy about you from the start!" Zoe yelled.

"Hey, sorry lady, I really do think you're cute." He smirked. "But business is business, so sorry about this! Hell Masquerade!!"

Jumping into the air, he spread his 4 wings and sped towards Zoe. Although she managed to dodge the first attack, he came back almost immediately and struck her from the side. Zoe was struggling to her feet when he came again, slamming her into a wall.

"Gargh! Grrr..." The XV-mon muttered.

Dinobeemon was circling her position, his special ability making his image 'trail' along so it seemed as if there were multiple copies of her opponent.

_How do I tell which is the real one?!_

Zoe closed her eyes, charging her X-laser at the same time. She was trying to listen for the movement of her opponent, but that was what Dinobeemon had been waiting for.

"Irritant Buzz!"

Beating his wings in a different manner, he let off a loud buzzing noise that made Zoe cry out and cover her ears. Dinobeemon took that opportunity to attack again, knocking her down and sending her X-laser way off target.

It shattered one of the smaller lights on the ceiling and Zoe covered her head when the glass shards came crashing down on the ground around her.

"Got ya now!!" Dinobeemon taunted, letting loose with another round of his ear-splitting buzzing. The sound seemed to affect her mind as well her eardrums, forcing her to her knees.

_This is not good! _Zoe thought. _Unless I can disrupt that technique, I haven't got a chance. But what can I do against noise itself?_

As Zoe struggled to stand, she happened to glance up and spot a glass chandelier hanging overhead. Suddenly, a sneaky idea snapped into her head.

With a roar, she fired upwards, blasting the supports of the chandelier. Dinobeemon was swift enough to avoid the falling object, but not able to prevent what happened next.

The chandelier hit the ground and shattered in a series of high-pitched crashes.

"CRAP!!" Dinobeemon cursed, pulling to a stop now that his attack was useless.

Zoe saw her chance, and moved in while her opponent was distracted. Now it was her turn to hurl Dinobeemon into the wall, leaving an impression of his body on it.

"XV-mon evolves…Paildramon!" Zoe called, activating her Digivice.

Dinobeemon staggered to his feet to find a new, larger dragon standing before him.

"Desperado Bla..."

"No you don't!" Dinobeemon lunged, knocking Zoe's waist mounted cannons away before she could fire.

The two combatants got into a fierce struggle, but Dinobeemon was faster and managed to shove Zoe to the ground, pinning her body down with his legs and grasping both his claws around her neck.

"Argh!! Gargh!!" Zoe gasped as he began to choke her.

"This time, you're finished!!" He declared, shifting his position slightly.

The movement, however, gave some leeway to Zoe's right leg.

_Hey...if this worked on Sekata, it had better work on him!_

"Hargh!!"

* * *

"GGMMPPHHH!! FFFUUMMPPP!!" Steve had awakened to find himself in another bad situation.

He'd apparently fallen asleep on the truck, but now he was still gagged and stuck in a block of cement up to his neck. And in addition, 'he' was moving.

_Hey!! Huh?! WHAT?! _

To be more specific, he was lying on his back on a conveyer belt, along with many other cement blocks.

_Damn!! Where's Siavon?! He's supposed to get me out of this mess!! And...ugh-oh!! _

From his position of facing upwards, he saw that conveyer belt led to a strange machine up ahead. And it was enlarging the cement blocks by spraying more, fresh cement onto their surfaces.

_NNO!! HEY!! This is a really stupid way to die!! Ending up on someone's wall?? _He cried, struggling in vain from within his 'prison'. _Crap!! Siavon!! Where are you?? _

Not that there was anyone to answer his silent, but desperate squeals. And so the conveyer belt moved him on until he was right beneath the hose.

_NNNNO!! _

* * *

"OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Dinobeemon's 'girly' scream ran out as Zoe kneed him in the groin.

The insect rolled off her, clutching his groin in agony. Zoe immediately rolled up, punched him in the face and kicked him further down the corridor. Dinobeemon ended up sprawled across the floor and lay still, unconscious.

"Hmmm...not bad, but you can't win!" D'Arcmon told a panting Zoe.

"Desperado Blaster!"

"Hah!" D'Arcmon somersaulted behind Zoe and knocked her aside.

Zoe rolled to a kneeling position, taking aim with her blasters.

"Careful, I'm sure you don't want to cause any accidents here." D'Arcmon waved one of her swords towards the petrified Digimon behind her.

"Damn!" Zoe hesitated a moment too long.

D'Arcmon brought out her staff and shot Zoe with a blast of electrical energy, sending her flying against the stairs. Zoe managed to recover in time to dodge a second attack, leaping up the flight of stairs.

"I told you not to stay here!" A soft voice whispered.

Zoe turned towards the door to see a Wormmon, peering in.

"You...you're the one who helped me?!"

"Yes...but look out!!"

Wormmon was tossed aside as D'Arcmon hit Zoe with another energy blast. Zoe was forcefully thrown out the door and against the adjacent wall. Stunned, Zoe felt a flat object, covered by a piece of cloth, fall off the wall and into her claws.

"DIE!!" D'Arcmon yelled, raising her staff to shoot again.

Instinctively, Zoe held the object up. The lightning bolt bounced off it, but also set the thin cloth on fire. Zoe whipped the flaming material off, revealing a mirror beneath.

"NO!!" D'Arcmon cried, covering her face. "Get that way from me!!"

"Oh, not too fond of your own reflection, are you?!" Zoe grinned, holding her newfound weapon out.

"Stop it you fool!!"

"RRAARGGHH!!" Zoe sprang forward, grasping one arm around D'Arcmon's shoulder and shoving the mirror into her face.

"AARRRRRGHHHHH!!" The warrior Digimon screamed, stumbling back and falling down the long flight of stairs.

Even in mid-fall, her beautiful features began to melt away. The Digimon she began to transform into was a demonic creature, with red-bat wings and a serpent-like tail. It had robes wrapped around its body, it chest armor and shoulder pads being designed to look like the heads of birds. The face changed too, becoming old and wrinkled, but was partially covered by a golden mask.

This Digimon was in fact, the demon lord Murmuxmon.

"My youth!! My spell!!" He roared. "Look at what you've done!!"

"Posing as a lady certainly didn't suit you, old man." Zoe growled, confidently striding down the stairs. "Ready to finish this?!"

"Hell Masquerade!!" All of a sudden, Dinobeemon leapt up behind her, lashing out with his claws.

"GGGAARRRGHH!!" Zoe screamed.

"Gehena Flame!!" Murmuxmon raised his arms and summoned a huge column of flame around the unfortunate Paildramon, tossing her into the air, slamming her against the ceiling and back down again, leaving her on a charred spot on the floor.

Drained, Zoe reverted to her Champion, XV-mon form.

"Boss, I..." Dinobeemon began.

"Fool!! You should've finished her off quicker!" Murmuxmon shouted.

"But boss...I'm in agony here!" Dinobeemon moaned, holding his claws over his groin area. "I think she's made me impotent..."

"Shut up!! My spell of youth has been completely disrupted thanks to your incompetence!!"

"But..."

"Nevermind, I'll just have to perform the summoning earlier then." Murmuxmon decided. "Just add her to the rest of them and I'll carry out the summoning immediately."

"Erm...right now?"

"DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF?!"

Dinobeemon didn't need any more encouragement to carry out his master's orders. He dashed over and dragged a half conscious Zoe to the far side of the hallway, where a caterpillar-shaped machine stood. Throwing her against the wall, he grabbed a control box from the side and turned the 'head' of the worm towards Zoe.

"Gugh..." Zoe was still too dazed to move as the machine fired a round of sticky white thread, wrapping it completely around her body and snout.

In horror, Zoe realized what was happening, but it was too late. Her body had already been immobilized. However, her eyes hadn't been covered yet, giving her full view of Dinobeemon maneuvering the machine for another round.

"MMMMUUUPPHHHHH!!" Her screams came out as nothing more than muffled gasps.

"Guess you'll make one spiffy figurine, eh?" Dinobeemon laughed, before hitting the trigger, turning Zoe's world into a complete mass of white fog.

* * *

Just as the machine released its contents, a side panel shot out, knocking Steve's cement block off the conveyer belt and down onto the floor below, shattering with a loud crash.

"Gargh!! Rargh!! Ugh..." Steve moaned, ripping the gag off and coughing up cement powder.

His head was still spinning from the fall and he was dirty and itchy all over, but at least he was free of his confinement.

"Goddamit! Siavon couldn't have cut it any closer, could he?!" He muttered, dusting himself off with one hand and scratching with the other. "Next time I hear from that old geezer, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!!"

"Oh, so would you have rather ended up as a permanent resident?"

"Huh?! Siavon?! Where are you?!"

"Listen kid, I'm actually watching you from 5 floors above, at the window."

Steve glanced upwards, but couldn't make out anything with all the moving machinery around.

"Then how are you talking to me?" Steve asked.

"Feel that small metal piece near your right ear?"

"Yeah, I do." Steve nodded, tapping the side of his head.

"It's a short range nano-communications chip. I tired to tell you about it earlier in the truck, but you fell asleep and refused to wake up."

"Erm...sorry! But what's going on here? And where is this place for that matter?"

"It's a factory, under the smuggler's control. An exchange of the Dragon Artifacts is due to take place here, but you'll have to be careful. There are guards everywhere."

"Yeah, I'm running around naked here." Steve added in. Not that it really affected his modesty now that he was a Flamedramon. "But I can't use any special attacks without my gear!! Tell me you brought it, please!"

"Relax, it's in the furthest locker in the male restroom on Basement Level 2, east wing. But you'll have to get to it yourself. I'm rather occupied at the moment."

"And what am I supposed to do without my armor and my Digivice?! I can't fight like this!!"

"Then improvise. I have to break contact now, but I'll meet up with you later. Just get going!"

"Man..." Steve slapped his head as the comn-link clicked off. "Why does everything always happen to me??"

* * *

Slowly, Zoe's blurred world began to return to reality. She was prepared for the worst, but the shock of being partially able to see and hear, yet not able to move a muscle really put her mind in a state of panic.

_All right...try to...calm down...and think..._

She soon became aware of where she was. Her immobilized statue form had been placed on a platform in the alcove of the wall. As it was also directly across from the long stairway leading up, it gave her a relatively good view of the figure standing in the middle of the hallway.

It was Murmuxmon, standing over a large black cauldron. He seemed to be chanting in some strange language, and was tossing items from a table nearby into the cauldron.

_Summoning? There was something about a summoning spell of his?_ She thought. However, there was nothing she, or any of the other petrified Digimon could do about it right now.

Then, Zoe remembered she had one ability the others did not, her telepathic powers. As long as her mind still worked, she might be able to do something.

Focusing, Zoe relaxed her mind as much as she could. Carefully, she let her consciousness 'wander', searching amongst all the other trapped souls in the room. It was difficult, trying to 'push' past their emotions, any of anger, despair, rage, anxiety and some she couldn't even describe.

Finally, Zoe found the one found the one she was looking for.

(Aeromaru!! It's me Zoe!! Can you hear this!! Can you answer?! Anything?!)

When she didn't receive any response, she feared that her friend was as lost as the others. But it then hit her that he didn't have her powers, and he probably couldn't reply.

(Listen, I'll explain this later, but for now, relax, open your mind and let me read your thoughts.)

It was an arduous mental task, but Zoe pushed on with every ounce of her willpower, and partially out of desperation too.

_That's the...first comforting thing...I've heard in quite some time..._ Aeromaru's 'voice' was weak and haggard, but it somehow carried his usual tone about it. _Guess you found out about my nickname, huh?_

(How are you doing?)

_Barely...keeping my sanity intact. I thought all was lost when I saw you petrified and stuck on the platform next to me._

(I guess I should say 'don't get your hopes up yet'.) Zoe told him grimly. (But do you know what Murmuxmon is doing? What's that summoning thing he's talking about?)

_Hell yeah, I've been stuck here along enough to hear that freak talk about it. From what I can make out, it's about reviving this ancient bird Digimon, Ornismon. He seems to believe he can gain eternal life by fusing with Ornismon._

(Then why not just summon the bird itself?)

_Cause Ornismon has been long extinct. Murmuxmon, however, does have traces of Ornismon's data, but it's not enough for him to use. And he's going to use our souls and bodies to give Ornismon a physical form._

(What?! That's crazy!!) Zoe yelled. (Then our minds...we'll all be trapped in there!!)

_It's eternal life all right, but not the kind I'd like. _Aeromaru said dryly.

(Hey, I think something's happening!!)

_He's beginning..._

Murmuxmon was now repeating some foreign words in a much louder voice than before. All around, the 'statues' began to glow.

Zoe gasped, feeling as if she were being grabbed and lifted up. Her viewpoint moved from its fixed spot on the ground, to hovering in the air, and slowly moving towards a growing ball of light above the black cauldron.

She blinked as she was dragged into the blinding light.

* * *

Steve pushed open the door and peered out.

_All clear..._

He dashed out into the corridor with the intention of quickly running across it. However, he spotted an electronic map of the building and paused to catch his bearings.

"OK...so I have to turn here, up this staircase and...oh crap!"

The door at the far end of the corridor slid open with an electronic hum. Steve didn't even wait to see figures before sprinting through the nearest door.

It opened into a large area overlooking the machinery room that he'd bee trapped in earlier. A wide bridge extended from the platform he was standing on to the other side.

The only problem was that two Tankmon soldiers patrolled the bridge, but were fortunately on the other side or else he would've been caught. The guards were coming in his direction and Steve was considering running back into the previous hallway when the door clicked, indicating that it was being opened from the other side.

_Not good! Not good!_

With no other options in mind, Steve jumped over the side of the bridge and grabbed on to the edge with his fingers, barely in time to avoid being seen when the two Tankmon patrols met.

As the guards began talking quietly amongst themselves, Steve started to shimmy across, grabbing the lower sections where the railings met the platform in turn and pushing himself forward. It was strenuous work and it wasn't long before his arm muscles were screaming in protest.

Meanwhile, the Tankmon had finished their conversation and two of them started going back across the bridge. One very conveniently rolled right over Steve's fingers.

"Gugrgh!!" It took a lot to hold on, but Steve simply couldn't keep from crying out.

"Did you hear that?" One guard asked.

"I think it was from this side."

_Oh shit! Come on! Think! _

Steve swung his legs up, grasping the railing of the other side with his toes. He quickly released his arms, so he was dangling over the abyss, hanging literally by the tips of his toes.

_ARGH!! I'm so high up!! Dammit!! OK, don't look! Don't look!! _

Steve covered his eyes, trying not to let his fears get the better of him.

"Nothing on this side." The first guard reported, glancing over the side. "How about your side?"

_CRAP!! _

Steve swung his upper body up, grabbing the railings he'd been holding onto earlier and releasing his toes.

"Nope, nothing here either." The second guard replied. "Hmmm...don't you think something's rather fishy?"

"Yeah. All right, on 3, we look over both sides at once!"

_Please! Gimme a break!! _Steve silently pleaded.

* * *

_No...I can't...can't let this...happen! _Zoe declared. _There has to be...something...something I can do!_

When she opened her eyes, Zoe found herself standing on a white background. It was like floating in outer space, for there was no definite floor or ceiling amongst the strange dimension. An odd gray mist was also hovering about, giving her an eerie feeling.

"What is this?!" Zoe wondered out loud.

"I think it's the body of Ornismon."

"Aeromaru!!" Zoe flew towards the glowing, semi-transparent image of the Aero V-dramon, only to have her claws pass right through him.

The XV-mon stared down at her hands, realizing that her body too was in the same state of partial existence.

"It's no use..." Aero muttered as his form gradually began to break up, merging with the gray mist around the area.

"We may have a chance!" Zoe yelled, a plan forming in her head. "If we can take control of Ornismon's mind, we may be able to pull through!!"

"You...can fight. But I...can't..."

"NO, that's not true!!" Zoe insisted, continuing to reach out for his hand.

"I don't have...your powers. Haven't got...the strength..."

"One thing I've learnt about being on the spiritual realm is that the strongest mind wins! You've got to have the will to exist warrior!! Come on, I need your help!! I might not be able to wrestle Ornismon's mind alone!!"

Aero closed his eyes as if he had given up. Then, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Zoe's hand with a firm grip. Smiling, Zoe pulled him down as the rest of his body began to reform.

"Thanks." He breathed. "You're right, all the other Digimon here are depending on us."

"I feel it's this way." Zoe pointed.

Together, the pair flew down a winding column of light, which grew smaller and smaller as it went on.

"There!" Zoe gestured towards a swirling black vortex. "That's Ornismon's mind! I just know it, somehow!!"

"Being on this plane of existence seems to amplify your gift." Aero commented. "Huh? Watch out!!"

Dozens of white tentacles suddenly burst from the walls, lashing out and entangling the two heroes.

"Strong Crunch!!" Zoe snapped at several tentacles with her jaws.

"V-Wing Blade!!" Aero fired off a burst of energy, disintegrating several more. Unfortunately, there were many others to make up for it, wrapping them around his body. "Garghh!!"

"RRAGHH!!" Zoe was having no better luck, all her limbs being hopelessly ensnared.

"Zoe! Your X-laser!" Aero ordered. "Free my upper body! Hurry!!"

Swinging her body, Zoe angled her chest towards her comrade and fired.

"Yes!!" With his arms and wings free, Aeromaru clawed at the tentacles around his feet, cutting them away as he somersaulted backwards. "Dragon Impulse!!"

Spreading his wings, Aero burst into white flames. Those took on the shape of a blazing creature with a phoenix's head and the Aero V-dramon's wings.

As the phoenix charged, Zoe closed her eyes. However, not a single bit of the flames touched her, instead burning off the tentacles holding her down.

"Go!!" Aero yelled.

Zoe kicked off one of the burning tentacles and sprang forward. She skillfully dodged two more appendages and dove headfirst into the swirling vortex.

* * *

"At last! It awakens!" Murmuxmon declared.

Dinobeemon backed away as the lights began to take shape. It was a massive blue bird with a green mane running along its back. Its head was purple, as was the feathers at the edges of its wings. However, the creature also possessed a long, reptilian tail.

"Ornismon!" Murmuxmon beckoned, raising his clawed hands. "Come to me!!"

Ornismon's head turned towards the source of his voice. The ancient bird began to move towards him, but suddenly, Ornismon's eyes went wide as it began threshing about, screeching wildly.

"What?! Ornismon, you will obey me!!" Murmuxmon yelled angrily, snatching a bottled potion off the table.

Ornismon lashed out with its tail, shattering the bottle in the sorcerer's hands.

"I thought you had this thing under control boss!" Dinobeemon muttered.

"It's supposed to work! What's interfering?!"

"Sorry boys, this little birdie ain't dancing to your schemes!!" Zoe's voice growled.

"Who the...it's you!!" Murmuxmon realized. "Seems I've underestimated your abilities, female."

Ornismon's eyes glowed with a blue light as Zoe spoke through its body.

"I won't let you win!! Using me in your little experiment will be the last mistake you'll ever make!" She snarled.

"Boss, what do we do?!" Dinobeemon panicked.

"Attack it you idiot!"

"Against that thing?! No way!!"

"Cosmic Ray!" Ornismon turned its head and released a brilliant destructive light ray from its mouth.

The beam tore through Dinobeemon, vaporizing the startled insect with a loud scream of pain. Murmuxmon however, wasn't out of tricks yet, reaching into his robes and tossing off a bunch of green ropes.

The lashings sprung to life, wrapping themselves round Ornismon's body, wings, mouth and dragging it down towards the sorcerer.

"Gehena Flame!!"

A vast column of flames surrounded Ornismon, causing it to screech in agony.

"You can't stop me girl!" Murmuxmon taunted. "Ornismon will be mine and...garghh!!"

The ancient bird clawed him in the face with one of its talons. Murmuxmon stumbled, releasing his ropes and clutching his face in pain.

"Fool! This distraction won't stop me if I know where you'll attack from! Gehena Flame!" Murmuxmon tossed the fire spell behind him, only to find he'd burnt nothing more than the brick wall. "What?! Where?!"

"Cosmic Ray!!"

"Huh?! AAARRRRGGHHHH!!"

Instead, the beam came down from above, where Ornismon had pressed itself against the ceiling. Murmuxmon exploded in a cloud of dark energy, but Ornismon remained, howling and flailing like a maddened beast.

_This thing's mind...its power! I...can't control it!! _Zoe thought.

_It must be the souls of the other Digimon trapped within! _Aero's voice came. _They don't know you mean them good._

_What should I do then?! I can't take this much longer! RRAGGHH!! _

_You have to get them back to their own bodies somehow!_

_How?! _Zoe wondered. _All our bodies were broken into data and used to form Ornismon...but...wait!! _

She'd just realized that the hardened films which had been used to encase them still stood on the platforms lining the hallway. They were empty now, but Zoe decided that she could use them as 'molds' to reform their bodies.

To do that, Zoe would have to break Ornismon's physical form up. But with her own mind currently connected to the beast's, it was like ripping her own body apart.

_Give me strength...just a little more...!! _

Ornismon began to glow, its shape splitting into a white radiance. From that source, points of light formed, spreading out and heading for each of the 'statues' lining the hallway in turn.

_Zoe! You're doing it! I don't believe it!! You're actually doing it!! _Aero called excitedly.

_Yeah...you'd better go, or you won't make it back to your own body..._

_What about you Zoe?! Zoe!!_

_I...I..._

_Zoe!! Zoe!! _

At that point, the last of Ornismon's body disintegrated in a blinding burst of energy.

* * *

"1...2...3!"

Both Tankmon peered over their respective sides, only to find nothing there.

"Well, guess it was our imagination after all."

Steve made sure the sounds of their tires had faded away before finally taking a breath. He was precariously clinging onto the bars the made up the bottom of the bridge, with his back to the bottom of the bridge, his arms grabbing one bar and legs pushing against another.

_Hah, got the better of them. _He thought triumphantly. _Gurgh! Dammit!! My arms! I can't...hold on...NNNNOOO!! _

The Flamedramon's arms gave way, sending him plunging towards the level below.

_AARRGGHH!! I'm gonna die!! I'm gonna die!! I'm GONNA DDDDDIIIIEEEE!! AAAGGHHH!!_

THUMP!!

"ARGH!! HELP!! I'm dead!! I'm dead!! ARRGHH!!"

Steve stopped, felt himself over and finally realized he'd fallen straight into a cart of soft garbage, which had cushioned his fall.

"Saved by trash...man...now I stink too." He gasped, pulling himself out of the cart. "But I'm alive and..."

The Flamedramon surveyed his surrounds and moaned, collapsing.

"I'm right back where I started!! DAMMIT!! I have to do everything all over again!! AARRRGGHHH!!" He roared, banging his head against the wall.

* * *

"Zoe! Wake up! Please! Zoe!!"

"Ugh...Sekata...?"

"Zoe!!"

"Gargh!!"

Zoe sprang up, grabbing Aero's shoulders.

"Whoa! Whoa! I'm happy to see you too, fellow blue dragon." The Aero V-dramon blushed.

"Where are...?" Zoe looked up and saw that they were lying in the middle of the hallway of petrified Digimon.

"We're free if you're wondering. Thanks to this guy here." Aero gestured towards the Wormmon standing nearby. "I was kinda freaked cause everything was quite and I thought we were really going to be standing here forever. But this little guy said that you contacted him and told him to free us."

"Yeah, your telepathic stuff was pretty scary." Wormmon nodded.

"Weird, I don't even remember doing it." Zoe muttered. "But how did you get us out Wormmon?"

"The film used on you was a synthetic chemical made out of several solidifying substances, fixating agents, preservative chemicals and well, some of my silk threads too." He said softly. "That was probably why they kept me around. Erm, anyway, I used another chemical to dissolve the film, but there was only enough for the two of you."

"So, the others are still petrified?" Zoe asked, glancing around. "Can you make more?"

"Certainly...but..."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid. I am partially responsible for their situation and..."

"That's not true." Aero said firmly, reaching out to rub a bruise mark on Wormmon's side. "While I was stuck here, I could see that you didn't have a choice. Those two bullies were really abusing you."

"And don't worry, the Digimon here aren't angry anymore, and definitely not at you." Zoe assured. "I can feel it, in more ways than one."

"OK, I'll get started right away!" Wormmon said with much more confidence. "The lab's this way."

"I'll help you out." Aero smiled. "Just give me a little while."

As Wormmon left, the Aero V-dramon turned towards Zoe.

"You want to ask me about Sekata, right? Doesn't take a telepath to figure that out."

"Aero, is he?"

"He was here, petrified with me. But they took him away, some time ago." He whispered softly. "I don't know where to. I'm sorry."

Zoe turned away, wiping a tear out of her eye.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"I'll be fine." Zoe nodded firmly. "I haven't given up yet! He needs me now, more than ever. I have to spread my own wings, and fly on my own."

"Yeah, you can guarantee that I'll help you out, especially now that the mystery of the Wild Ones attacks in this region is pretty much solved." Aero gave a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, and by the way, that was a really cool move you used back there."

"Oh, the Dragon Impulse?" He winked. "Heh, it's a secret technique handed down by my great-great grandfather."

"I see." Zoe nodded. "Well, you'd better go help Wormmon out."

"And you should get some rest. You've really exerted your powers a lot."

"No, not yet." Zoe walked over to the nearest petrified Digimon and placed her claw to its face. "These guys need a little comforting too."

_I'll be there soon Sekata. Just hold on a while longer..._


	22. Two to Tango

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Bandai/ Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Two to Tango**

By nightdragon0

"So this is it...?" Janet looked up at the building. "Gee, sure is inviting."

From the outside, the structure standing before her seemed like an old, run-down castle now that she could see it more clearly.

However, as she moved closer, Janet spotted three figures standing at the castle's main gate. She crouched down and carefully crawled through the bushes lining the path. This allowed her to move in much closer without being spotted.

_Hey, it's that Beelzebumon creep! _Jan realized.

With him were two centaur-like Digimon, Vajramon and Pajirimon.

"So, everything's all set up for the big Dragon Artifacts trade?" Vajramon was asking.

"Hey, don't worry." Beelzebumon replied, waving his hands. "My guys have it covered, ya?"

"And about that dragon companion of yours'..."

"Yeah, he's just there to make sure it's the real stuff, and to supply us with the Dragon Dagger."

"I thought you said the Dagger he had was fake." Pajirimon muttered.

"The one that Flamedramon had on him, ya." Beelzebumon corrected. "But Siavon says he found the real one. Something about it being hidden in the young Flamedramon's lodgings."

"Another thing is to make sure no word of this gets out." Vajramon insisted. "So..."

"Hehehe, after this..." Beelzebumon pulled a finger across his throat and made a grunting noise. "And he won't be saying anything, ever. Flamedramon has probably already been taken care of by now, ya."

"How?" Vajramon growled.

"Relax, we've got that covered, ya? Let's just say he'll have a hard time talking when he's part of the castle wall, ya?"

"I was referring to the other one. A BlackWargreymon, certainly a considerable foe by any standards."

"We'll see how considerable with that trap that's been specially designed for him, ya."

"Humph, all right." Vajramon huffed, not entirely convinced.

"What's wrong? Don't trust me, ya?"

"About as far as an anvil can jump." Pajirimon quipped. "Watch yourself, if you dare double cross us..."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, ya."

"Good. Then excuse us, we have preparations to make."

The centaur pair entered the doorway and disappeared.

Beelzebumon put on a wide smirk before he too strode in through the gate and slammed it shut behind him.

"A Flamedramon?" Jan wondered, emerging from her hiding place. "Steve? Could it be? But then..."

Suddenly, her Digivice began beeping.

Janet brought up her left claw and flicked the screen on. A dot was blinking, indicating the presence of another Digivice close by, somewhere within the structure.

The Digivice was still functioning, and she could only pray that its owner was too.

* * *

Firstly, Janet had to get in.

The castle's main gate was expectedly locked, but not like she wanted to barge in with guns blazing or swords flashing. (In her case, Dino-breaths and a very mean lance.)

The windows she could see from her position were all closed up with shutters, and locked when she tried to open them.

So, Janet crept around the right side of the building and, much to her surprise, spotted a partially open shutter. Actually, it was partially crushed too. It was even better when she found it just the right size for her Guilmon body to squeeze through.

"Well, that was easy." She remarked, landing on the stony floor.

But then, her face fell. Janet re-examined the broken shutter and concluded that it had first been cut open from the outside, unlocked and then forced open.

Which meant that there was another intruder besides herself. Still, there was nothing she could do about it at the moment.

Janet spent the next few minutes carefully searching around the first level, using the light of her Digivice since it was nearly pitch black inside. Debris and crumbling stone sections were everywhere, slowing the rate of her search even more.

"Yargh!" She gasped, tripping on a loose stone. "Damn, you'd think the 'bad guys' would at least put some lights in their hideout. Huh? Wait, that's it!"

There were no lights about on this level, and thinking about it, no signs of any guards either.

"So, their hideout is probably either upstairs or possibly below. Great, I bet this castle has a whole network of secret passages. And how am I supposed to find that? In pitch darkness no less."

She leaned her head against the wall and groaned.

"Huh? There's a scent!" Her dinosaur senses detected a slight trace of another Digimon. "Someone brushed past this wall recently. Strange, the scent seems so familiar, but I can't pinpoint where I've encountered it before."

However, Janet was still happy to follow the trail, which led towards a large wooden door. She pushed it open and found herself face to face with a giant, floating head.

Screaming, she fell backwards, covering her head and whimpering. When nothing happened after several seconds, Jan shakily shone her light into the room again.

It turned out to be a large mask suspended from the ceiling by translucent wires that glittered in her 'flashlight'.

"Heh...hahah...that was stupid." She muttered.

The mask was designed to look somewhat like a Kabuterimon's head, only that it revealed the eyes as well, indicating it was probably Cimeramon or Millenniummon instead.

Then, Janet heard the faint sounds of breathing and jerked her light towards the far left corner of the room.

"Hey, would you mind not shinning that right into my face?!"

"YOU!!" Janet snapped.

"Hiya princess!" Dynamo beamed. "Nice to be recognized, but you don't have to shout."

Janet was about to start screaming abuse at her old rival, but stopped short. Not only did he have a bucket on top of his head, but when she moved the light downwards, she found the rest of his body stuck within a thick and hard red blob.

"What the heck happened to you?!" She asked, struggling to contain a smile.

"Grrr...I was here setting up a trap for...erm...nevermind whom the trap was for, but then your stupid light and screaming made me jump as well, and I sorta..."

"Got stuck in your own trap, I see." Janet giggled.

"Yeah, you don't need the IQ or a rocket scientist to figure that out. Now could you help me out of here, please?" Dynamo begged.

At that, Janet fell backwards, roaring with laughter.

* * *

A pair of MechaNorimon (Mekanorimon) lumbered down the empty corridor. Their emotionless eyes moved, scanning the entire area and making sure it was clear. Then, they exited the corridor to carry on with their patrol.

That was when Steve finally emerged, crawling out of the air-vent and replacing its metal grilling.

"Whew..." He muttered. "Why didn't I try this earlier? They always do it in the tactical espionage games."

The Flamedramon quickly dusted himself off as he moved towards the adjacent doorway. He pressed his ear to the door first, and upon hearing nothing, pushed the door open.

Inside was a restroom that looked very similar to the ones in the human world. A row on sinks of varying heights lined the right side, and on the left, a row of lockers. In the center, a sliding glass door led into the shower rooms and other such facilities.

"Furthest locker." Steve repeated, jogging towards it.

Suddenly, he heard the click of the main door opening behind him.

_Oh crap! _

In his moment of panic, Steve pulled the nearest locker door. Finding it wasn't locked, he whipped it open and jumped inside, pulling it close as quietly as he could. Just in time too, for the lumbering footsteps of a MechaNorimon echoed behind him.

Steve pressed back against the soft pile of cloth in the locker as he tried to calm his wildly beating heart. He couldn't see much through the small slits at his eye level, but heard the ominous footsteps coming closer and closer. The light coming in through the slits was abruptly blocked off at the MechaNorimon stepped in front of his hiding place.

Steve held back a yell and quickly crouched down as the robot shone a light in through the slits. After several tense seconds, the guard moved on.

"Damn, that was close." Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he waited in the dark, cramped locker until the footsteps of the guard had faded beyond the doorway before stepping out.

At least, he tried to step out of the locker.

"What the?!"

Fumbling in the darkness, Steve realized the door had automatically locked itself...from the outside.

"Oh No! Oh No! NNOOOO!!" Steve pounded on the door. "THIS SUCKS!!"

* * *

"Hey! This damn goo's already hardened and I can't move! And there's some remains trickling down my neck! Argh! It's itchy!!" Dynamo yelled. "Quit staring! Do you think this is funny?!"

"Funny?" Janet replied "This is hilarious!"

"Fine, you've had your fun laughing! Now, help me out OK?"

"Help you? After you tried to kill me about how long ago? And Zoe too for that matter."

"Erm...yeah...I did...sorta try that..." Dynamo laughed nervously. "But that was when I thought you were a bunch of weak twerps. I admit, I've now got a new respect for you princess. And besides, you know we Guilmon do go a little berserk when we get mad, yeah?"

"I'd rather just leave you to rot. Bye!"

"NO wait!" Dynamo pleaded. "I've got some information that can help you!!"

"Then start quacking." Janet growled, leaning against the wall and folding her arms.

"There's actually a hidden factory and base beneath this castle, and it's where this bunch of smugglers are going be trading some Dragon Artifacts with the Daemon Crops. Neither are friends of my boss, and I'm here to sabotage it."

"Now that's interesting, but why should I free you then?"

"Cause the secret entrance to the underground facility is through the number-padded section over there! Look for yourself!"

Janet walked over, shinning her light to find the 9-digit number pad, just as Dynamo mentioned.

"Think you can get it open by yourself?" He asked. "I'm sure the answer is no. But I've got the equipment and the skills to get it done!"

"Oh? In here?" Janet picked up a brown knapsack lying by the side of the room. "Hmmm...cool gadgets. I could make use of these..."

"Want more? I was the one who sent you the letter telling you to come here!"

"Why?"

"Cause I knew you would want to screw the smugglers over too, being the good guys, you know?" Dynamo continued. "Besides, I think you have a friend in trouble and need to rescue him."

"What?! How'd you find that out?!"

"Erm...lucky guess. My informant told me something about a Flamedramon with a Digivice, and I thought you might know him."

"True, I do." Janet nodded. "But..."

She examined and number pad again and sighed.

"Hey, you've heard of 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend', right?" Dynamo said. "Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot princess. Won't you give it another chance?"

"Oh..." Janet moaned.

Dynamo seemed to be telling the truth, and Janet knew she had no chance of opening the secret door by herself. She took a while more to examine the contents of Dynamo's bag, then came up with a plan in her mind.

"All right, how do I get you out of that stuff?" She asked.

"You just got to heat it up a little." Dynamo replied. "You can see that I can't bend my neck enough to do that."

Janet fired a couple of her Fireball attacks and immediately, the goo seemed to begin to melt.

"Yeah, that's it!" Dynamo breathed a sigh of relief. "One more Fireball should do, and hey...erm...why come up so close?"

Grinning, Jan walked up and swung her tail, connecting squarely with Dynamo's chin. That broke the Guilmon out of the goo and sent him flying into the wall.

"Ow! Hey! You did that on purpose!" Dynamo moaned, rubbing his chin. "I'm gonna send ya the medical bill for my jaw surgery when this is over!"

"Hey, is this a taser?" Janet queried, pulling a small rectangular device out of Dynamo's bag.

"Yeah..." Dynamo nodded, still slightly stunned.

ZAP!! The taser let off an electric burst as Janet pointed it at Dynamo and pressed the button.

"Ow!! Hey!!"

"This is just to keep you in check." She growled. "Now, face the wall and put your claws against it!"

"What?!"

ZAP!!

"Arugh! OK! OK!" Dynamo reluctantly complied. "Just what is with all this...yeowch! Hey!!"

Still holding the taser ready, Janet moved around Dynamo, jabbing his scales at various points.

"Zoe told me about how you managed to smuggle the Sacred Crystal out back then." Janet told him. "I'll make sure you haven't got any more items hidden beneath some fake skin."

"I'll give you credit for your insight princess, but I'm not hiding anything this time. Gargh!! My tail!!"

"Heh, just making sure it was real." Janet smirked, releasing his dinosaur tail.

"You know, I've never been touched this much by a female before." Dynamo began. "I..."

BBBZZZZZZZTTT!!

"OOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!"

"Shut up." Janet spun Dynamo around to face her. "If you dare tell anyone about this..."

"Relax, as long as you don't say anything about my little...ahem...slip-up back there."

"Deal."

"Great. See, it's something we agree on." Dynamo winked. "We can work together after all, eh?"

ZAP!!

"OWW!!"

"Don't get cocky." She snarled, strapping Dynamo's backpack onto herself. "I'm keeping a **very** short leash on you. Got it?"

"Absolutely."

"Now, what equipment do you need to get the secret passage open?"

* * *

"Are you done yet?" Janet asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Just a little more...quality workmanship takes time." Dynamo muttered, fiddling with a square handheld device he'd attached to the side of the number pad. "There! Got it!"

With a creak, the adjacent wall slid open, revealing a staircase leading downwards.

"So, anything else her majesty needs from me?"

ZAP!! ZAP!!

"Ow! Ow! All right! I get the point!" Dynamo waved. "You have anything in mind once we're down there?"

"I assume there'll be guards and such?"

"My sources say so at least."

"Since it's a factory, we'll head for the nearest control station. Preferably a security room that we can get some layout details."

"I do have some maps, but I should be able to mess around with the security systems a little." Dynamo nodded.

"Good. You first." Janet jabbed the taser at his side.

"Me?"

"Grrrr..."

"OK! I'll go! Just don't leave me hanging."

"Oh come on, I'm the good guy, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's true."

As the pair made their way downwards, the stone walls of the old castle gradually began to be replaced by metallic sections. At the bottom was an electronic sliding door, and through that, a large metal corridor.

The two carefully checked for any guards before entering.

"It's this way." Dynamo gestured.

He led Janet down the left path and through another door. After several minutes of carefully ducking into alcoves and corners to avoid Tankmon patrols, the duo arrived at the end of the passageway, a set of double doors with a lightning bolt symbol marked on them.

"Locked, as expected." Dynamo muttered, noticing a similar 9 digit keypad next to the door. "I should be able to crack the code if..."

"Hey, how about over here?"

Dynamo looked over his shoulder to find Janet pulling a couple of cardboard boxes that had been absentmindedly tossed in the corner. Their labels read 'Supplies, Computer Room Basement Level 1 East'.

"Yeah, I guess that'll work too." Dynamo laughed. "Not too bad at this sneaking around business, are you?"

"I have some field experience." Janet quipped.

* * *

"More supplies?" A Tankmon wondered, finding two more equipment crates outside his door. "Thought we were done for the day. Hey, come help me over here!"

"Yeah, coming." The second Tankmon in the control room rolled over with a grunt.

Each one picked up a box between their gun arms and brought them into the control room.

"Aren't these a little heavy?" The second Tankmon wondered.

"How right you are!" Dynamo sprang out of the box and fired a gun at point blank range, sending blue energy waves convulsing through the startled guard's body.

"Hargh!!" Janet leapt out of the second box and disabled the second guard with the same tactic.

The two guards let out gargled screams before going offline, their arms hanging limp by their sides. Janet quickly shut the control room door while Dynamo shoved the two Tankmon into a corner.

"Ion charges." Dynamo smirked, twirling his gun. "These work wonders on disabling machines. Those two will be out for a long time."

"They'd better." Jan growled, snatching the gun out of his claw. "Now, get to work!"

Dynamo took a seat at the computer and flicked on several other screens in the room, which showed various images of locations in the facility. Janet passed him a CD, which he slipped into the computer and then began typing.

"I'll be into the system in no time." He winked.

"So, how are your planning to sabotage this trade?" Janet leaned over his chair.

"Well, these two groups aren't too fond of each other, and being in the same facility has probably made them edgy enough already. So, a few 'mishaps', and they'll be at each other's throats."

"And you get to steal the Dragon Artifacts in the process?"

"Erm...hehehe...sort of..." Dynamo laughed nervously.

"Hey wait! That image!" Janet pointed towards one of the monitors. "Pause it!"

Dynamo brought the image up on the main screen. It was footage from a surveillance camera, though it was rather blurred. However, Janet had spotted a flash of blue at the edge of the screen, which the guards had most likely overlooked.

When Dynamo was done enlarging it, there was no doubt in her mind.

"Steve!" She gasped.

Her friend's Flamedramon form seemed to be devoid of any armor, but camera had caught him sneaking into a door at the far corner.

"That your friend?" Dynamo queried. "He might still be in that room, you know?"

"Where is it?"

"I'll get the system to send it to you."

Janet connected her Digivice to the computer and downloaded the map data.

"I'm going to see if I can find him, so you stay here." Janet decided.

"Fine by me."

"And just to make sure..."

"What the?! Hey!!"

Dynamo found his arms yanked back and bound around the back of the chain with a metal chain. Janet pulled his tail through the hole in the back of the chain and secured it to one of the chair's legs.

"I can't do anything if you tie my arms down!" Dynamo protested. "And...urgh!"

Janet tilted the chair back, so Dynamo's legs went up, and pushed them onto the table. She then moved the chair closer towards the table, so that Dynamo was unable to take his legs off the table, and locked the chair in that position.

Finally, she shoved his protesting head down onto the table, chin-down between his legs, and tied it down. Each of the chains Janet used had a lock, which she made good use of to ensure the chains were fastened tightly.

"Gargh!! I...I can't move!!"

Smirking, Janet leaned over his head and showed him a book from his own backpack, 'How to Secure a Captive for Dummies'.

"No fair! That's mine!" Dynamo whined.

"I had something to do while hiding inside those boxes, even if reading in dim light is bad for the eyesight." Janet grinned.

"Grrrrrr!!"

"Good thing you nicely provided a set of keys too." She continued, dropping the keys into her belt pouch. "Sorry, but I want to be sure you don't decide to alert the guards, seeing you can't exactly run away right now. If you want to play around with the computer while I'm gone, then I hope you're good as doing that with your toes."

The Guilmon lifted a foot and wiggled her toes for emphasis.

"But what if they find me in here?!" Dynamo squealed. "I won't be able to run away either!!"

"I'll lock the door." Janet huffed, snatching up the backpack. "You hope they don't have blasters."

"That isn't very reassuring." Dynamo moaned as the door clicked shut. "GARGH!! Damned b#&ch of a dino!!"

Dynamo struggled to no avail.

"Hey, but know what? I think I like her!"

* * *

A while later, Janet stood in front of the door she'd seen Steve entering earlier. The room was only one level down and happened to be in a relatively quiet section.

Yet after everything, Janet stood hesitantly in front of the door marked 'Male Restroom'.

"To go, or not to go? That is the question." She sighed. "Steve, why did you have to make this so difficult?"

Finally, she gathered up enough courage and pushed the door open slightly. The room seemed to be empty and Janet stepped in, closing the door behind her.

THUMP! THUD!

_Huh?! What's that sound? It's coming from...that locker? _

Janet strode over to the left side of the room, where an odd thumping noise was coming from inside one of the lockers. Unfortunately, it was only after she'd pushed the handle down, thus unlocking the locker, that Jan remembered what happens to all the girls who open 'thumping cupboards' in the horror movies.

With a terrifying moan, a tall white shape burst out of the locker.

"AAARRGGGHHH!! GG...G...GHOST!! HHHEEELLPP!! GUARGH!!"

The ghost came right at her, wrapping its cloth-like folds around her. Out of pure instinct, Janet let loose with a Fireball attack, setting the ghost on fire.

Screaming, the ghost knocked her back against the opposite wall, causing a shelf to break and several buckets of paint to come crashing down, spilling their contents onto the Guilmon.

"Urgh..." Janet moaned, rubbing blue and green paint out of her eyes.

The 'ghost' was now running in circles round the room, screaming wildly.

_Wait a minute...that voice! Steve?! _

* * *

"Almost...almost...gargh!!" Dynamo had realized one of the locks had been placed at the back of his head, and was currently stretching a leg and attempting to pick the lock with his toenail.

Finally, the lock came loose with a satisfying click.

"YES!"

With his head finally free, Dynamo craned his neck, reaching down between his legs for the crank that would release the chair lock. Pushing his muscles till they were about to tear, Dynamo stuck out his tongue and managed to move the crank.

Now that he was able to spin the chair around, Dynamo did so and placed his feet back on the floor.

"Whew..." He panted.

From there, he still had to pick the lock of the chain tying his tail to the chair, probably with his toes again. With that done, he'd be able to get off the chair and free his arms.

However, he could only flop back for now.

"Owww...my aching back." Dynamo moaned, finally able to stretch his cramped leg muscles. "I really need to work out ways to escape from my own traps more easily."

* * *

"ARGH! GARUGH!! YYARRGHH!! FIRE!! FIRE!! HELP!! HELP!!"

SPLOOSH!!

Steve felt a splash of cold water hit him as he finally tripped and went face-first into the metallic floor. With a yell, he tore his head through the burnt section of the white cloth to find a rainbow colored Guilmon standing before him, an empty paint bucket in her claws.

"Didn't they ever teach you to stop, drop, roll?!" Janet growled. "And what the heck were you doing dressed like a ghost inside a locker?!"

"Oh...hi Jan..." Steve waved, panting. "Then what are you doing dressed like a rainbow in the guy's restroom?"

Janet blushed, though it was hidden by the colored paints on her face.

"Forget it." She sighed. "Some fire elemental you are."

"Hey, I'm fire-**resistant**, not fire-**proof**." Steve protested. "Especially without my armor. Speaking of that..."

Steve dashed over to the furthest locker and threw it open.

"Finally!" Steve let out a sigh of relief as he began strapping the pieces back on, though leaving the gauntlets off and hanging by his sides like he did at most times. "I never thought I'd be so happy to get these back."

"What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. But right now, I'm looking for one of my friends. He's this BlackWargreymon, Siavon, who's supposed to help me get these Dragon Artifacts..."

"The Dragon Artifacts? You're looking for them too?" Janet asked, wiping the paint off her body.

"So, you've heard about the powers they're said to have?"

"Yeah, I also overheard our old foe Beelzebumon talking with this Vajramon and Pajirimon."

"Hmmm...must be Vija and Pija." Steve muttered. "And they're not very nice Digimon."

"Well, those guys were planning something for your BlackWargreymon buddy."

"Siavon?! Oh great, don't tell me he's in trouble. Either way, we've got to find him."

"Any ideas?" Janet queried.

"He gave me this short range communications chip." Steve replied, showing her a small metal piece. "Siavon? You there? Respond!"

All he got was static.

"Not good." Steve shook his head.

"Let me have it. Perhaps we can use the signal from this chip and trace it back to him." Janet suggested. "My Digivice could probably do that."

"Your...hey! It's changed!" Steve gasped, staring at the red & white device which resembled a dragon's head.

"Yep, all new and improved, D-Dragon." Janet said proudly, placing the chip on the screen. "I got it when I went..."

BEEP! BEEP!

A dot was blinking on the screen, indicating a position several levels below.

"I think we've got it!" Janet remarked. "How about we exchange stories later on?"

"Yeah, we've got a job to do." Steve agreed. "Let's go!"

* * *

Following the signal to its location was surprisingly easy. All of a sudden, there seemed to be practically no guards around. However, when Steve and Janet got to their location, they realized why.

An entire squad of Tankmon and MechaNorimon patrolled the hallways, obviously guarding the room through an elegant-looking pair of double doors.

"I'll bet that the exchange is taking place inside that room." Steve muttered as the pair watched from the stairwell.

"That would certainly explain all the security." Janet agreed. "But we have to get in. The signal is coming from within that room."

"Up here." Steve gestured, leading his companion up to the level above. "How about we get in through that?"

He was pointing to an air vent on the side of the wall.

* * *

It didn't take long for the pair to squeeze themselves through the air vent. They soon found a path which led right into the room.

"Whoa...bad guy convention." Steve whispered, peering through the air vent's metal grills.

It was a huge meeting room with a large wooden table in the center. On one side was Beelzebumon, flanked by a pair of 3-headed Cerberumon. On the other were a Zanbamon, Vajramon and Pajirimon – Zakar, Vija and Pija, as Steve remembered.

"The payment was meant to be for the shield and the dagger, not the shield alone." Zakar rumbled.

"Well, it wasn't my fault that Siavon figured it out and decided to hide the dagger, ya." Beelzebumon protested.

"Then the payment will be severely cut down."

"What? For these things? Hey, getting even one is a real bargain, ya?"

The two continued their negotiation in loud voices.

"Hey, look there!" Janet pointed.

In lone pillar stood in the far corner of the room. There was something strange about the pillar, for it was a shiny silver and shimmered with the same colored glow. However, there was something else...a dragon-like head sticking out from one side.

"Siavon!" Steve realized. "Man, what have they done to him?!"

"He's not moving...maybe he can't, or perhaps he's unconscious." Janet observed.

Steve took another look around the room. The opposing groups were completely engrossed in their discussion and quite oblivious to anything else. The area was also dimly lit with many pieces of large furniture scattered about.

"I think we can make it to Siavon unseen." Steve decided, quietly removing the air vent's cover.

Jan and Steve cautiously made their way over to the 'pillar', ducking and crawling beneath various chairs and tables in the process.

A large desk was the furniture piece closest to the pillar and the pair squeezed beneath it.

"Siavon!" Steve hissed. "Hey! Siavon!"

The dragon man's eyes slowly opened.

"Under the table here, but don't turn your head."

Siavon managed to roll his eyes up and down, as if in a nod.

"I'm guessing you'll want this." Janet whispered, passing him the nano-communications chip.

"Thanks." Steve put the chip to his ear and tapped the side of his head as an indication to Siavon. "Siavon, you there?"

"Right here." Came the older warrior's reply. "Damn, I knew they had something planned, but I wasn't expecting this."

"Yeah, you're the one in the sticky situation for a change." Steve held back a laugh. "What happened?"

"You can see that they have the Dragon Shield right over there." Siavon explained. "But I kept the dagger hidden, suspecting that they'd all play me out."

"And stick you in a silver pillar?"

"This mechanism is more complex than it looks. To keep a long story short, it consists of some liquid metal within a contained vacuum. The vacuum sucks in anything that makes contact and keeps them completely immobile inside while it saps their energy. It's called a Dragon Trap, supposedly for its enhanced effect on dragons."

"We'll get you out of there." Steve told him, edging to move forward.

"No, whatever you do, don't touch it or you'll be trapped like me. Cutting the vacuum's power supply is the only way to stop it."

"How do I do that?"

"That'll alert our enemies, so don't."

"But you..."

"Listen kid, look near the base, my Dramon Killer claws are lying there."

"Yeah, I see them."

"The middle finger on the right claw is actually the Dragon Dagger."

"All right, I'm on it." Steve gave both Jan and Siavon firm nods before crawling out of his hiding place, keeping as low to the ground as possible.

He reached the claw and grasped onto the concealed dagger, attempting to yank it free.

"Once you have it, get out of here." Siavon's voice sounded weaker, even through the nano-communications.

"No way!" Steve whispered. "We're not leaving without you!"

"Kid, don't be stubborn." Siavon hissed.

"Will you stop being so negative old timer?" Steve replied. "I'll find a way to...yargh!"

The dagger abruptly came loose, both from the claw and from Steve's grip...sending it flying into the metal wall with a strikingly loud twang.

The next instant, all heads were turned in Steve's direction.

"Oh...shit..."

* * *

"Intruder!" Zakar pointed with one of his swords. "Stop him you fools!"

From beneath the nearby desk came a brilliant flash of red light, followed by a scream.

"Matrix Evolution! Dukemon!"

The entire enemy party hesitated as the white knight leapt between Steve and them, menacingly brandishing her lance, 'Gram' and the 'Aegis' shield.

"Jan?!" Steve's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "You can go Mega?!"

"This is no time to worry about that." She ordered in a stern voice. "Get out of here now. I'll take care of these bozos!"

"You and what army, knight?" Vija demanded, unsheathing his dual swords.

"Hey, am I too late for the party?" Dynamo the Guilmon burst in through another air vent. "Oohh...flashy princess."

"What's going on here, ya?" Beelzebumon muttered, drawing his guns.

"Who invited them?!" Pija raised her crossbow.

"In that case, allow me to show you my invitation!" Dynamo brought up a rectangular device and pushed a large yellow button with a smiley face on it.

"Hit the deck!" Janet screamed, moments before a deafening explosion tore through the side of the room, throwing everybody off their feet.

It didn't last long, but stirred up a large cloud of smoke as well as 'extending' the room all the way through to the surface, revealing the dark, night sky.

"Heh, a good saboteur knows how to improvise even when all his equipment gets stolen." Dynamo's voice pulled Janet back to reality.

"Damn, are you insane?!" She yelled, looking up to find Dynamo in Black MegaloGrowmon form kneeling over her, holding out his arms to shield herself, Steve and the immobilized Siavon from some debris.

"Not really, I just needed a little room to evolve."

"Urghh...where's Beelzebumon and gang?" Janet asked.

"They're headed for the surface, so let's hurry if you want to catch them." Dynamo replied.

"Go on first Jan." Steve decided, pulling himself up. "I'm gonna get Siavon out of this Dragon Trap first."

"Moron..." Siavon muttered weakly.

"Be careful, because this place could collapse any moment now." Janet warned.

"All right then." Dynamo wiggled out of his position, angling his arms so the debris fell away from Janet's group. "Rargh!"

The mechanical dinosaur moved to a clear spot, and still in a kneeling position, and activated his jetpack.

"Well, it takes two to tango princess. So, shall we dance?" Dynamo winked, indicating for Janet to jump onto his shoulder.

Janet glared at her 'rival' for a while, and then nodded.


	23. Convergent Paths

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Bandai/ Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Convergent Paths**

By nightdragon0

"Man, is this it?" Steve wondered, pushing his way through the rubble.

He knew he had to hurry, for the underground base was literally coming apart. However, the flickering lights easily showed that the power was still running, possibly the auxiliary power.

That same power needed to be shut off if Steve was to free Siavon from his prison.

"Siavon, how you holding out?" Steve radioed his friend through the nano-communications chip. "I think I've found the power control station for this level."

"I'm alive. For now at least." Siavon replied.

"Just hang in there!"

The door's control panel was broken and unresponsive, so Steve took to ramming the door with his shoulders, over and over again.

"Come on! Come on!" He growled, taking several steps back. "That does it! Fire Rocket!"

Steve's fiery charge finally tore the door down, sending him into a forward roll.

"Hah, easy does it." He laughed, dusting himself off.

However, his gaze soon turned towards a sign posted at the side of the door, which read 'In Case of Power Outage, Door Opens Outwards'.

"SHIT!"

"Something wrong?" Siavon asked.

"Nevermind. Just give me directions." Steve muttered.

_Note to self, next time I find a door that's locked, I shoot it open. _

"I don't think you'll be able to break into any computer systems still running, so you'll have to manually cut the power." Siavon instructed. "There should be a connecting door leading into a generator room. You know what a power generator looks like, don't you?"

"Yeah, I found it." Steve pushed open another heavy metal door, fortunately one that wasn't locked. "Whoa...man!"

It opened into a huge room extending multiple levels, both upwards and downwards, though most of the area was dark. In particular, the black empty space below the pathway was especially forbidding. Extending from the doorway was a catwalk leading to a hunk of machinery in the middle of the room.

An explosion shook the area, reminding Steve of the urgency of the situation.

"OK, I'm at the generator. What do I look for?" Steve asked, running forward. Along the way, he grabbed a glowing yellow lightstick that had been lying by the side of the pathway.

"Somewhere along the bottom of the generator...there should be a large rectangular panel. You'll need to open it."

Squinting in the dim yellow light, Steve managed to find the panel, hooked his gauntlets by his side and pried it open with the Dragon Dagger, which he'd claimed during the chaos earlier. Under the older dragon's directions, Steve turned several knobs and flicked a couple of switches. All seemed well until Siavon instructed him to cut a yellow wire only.

Problem was, there were several orange wires wrapped around it as well. And in the dim yellow light, the wires looked practically identical.

"Oh crap." Steve cursed. "Erm...what happens if I cut the wrong wire?"

"Then we all go up in a big bang. Why? Great, don't tell me you're color blind?!"

"No! It's just that...erm...well..." Steve hesitated, claws gripping the wires as tightly as he could with his sweaty palms.

BOOM!

"Gargh!" Startled by the small explosion behind him, Steve jerked...and snipped one of the wires with his claws. "Not good! Not good!! ARGH!!"

Steve sprang away and covered his head. But when his thoughts didn't end in a fiery blast, he quickly looked up.

"Hey, I think I got it! Siavon?"

"Ragh!!"

"Siavon?!"

There were some coughing and spluttering sounds over the link before Siavon managed to answer.

"I'm all right." The old warrior panted. "When the vacuum went off, the liquid metal went everywhere, including into my mouth. Well, I'm free now, at least if I don't die of mercury poisoning first. But thanks kid, guess I owe you one now."

"No problem." Steve laughed, silently making a 'yes' motion with his hand. "I'll be right back there, then we'll get out of here."

"Better make it quick, kid."

Steve snatched up the lightstick, noting that the room was almost pitch black, except for the rows of emergency orange floor lights, lining the edges of the catwalk.

The Flamedramon had taken about two steps onto the bridge when a long, creaking sound caused him to turn around. In horror, he realized the bridge he was standing on was coming apart before his eyes, starting from the section behind him.

"SHIT!!" Without thinking, he ran.

Steve swerved as a falling chunk of metal almost landed right in his path, then leapt over a hole in the catwalk. He had to dodge falling metal pieces two more times and jump over some debris in the path.

Finally, he stumbled and skidded forward, on his chest, along the smooth metal, ending up at the relative safety of the doorway.

"Ow...whew...that was...too close..." He gasped, rubbing the sore, exposed sections of his stomach. Then, he glanced back at the collapsed catwalk. "Man, just like the movies. Hey, and I didn't hit my head even once!"

Grinning in relief, Steve kicked the bottom of the door with his foot. Unfortunately, the door came right off its hinges and fell towards him, giving Steve a hard smack on the head.

* * *

"You moron, this is all your fault!" Zakar yelled.

"Hey! Hey! I wasn't supposed to know this would happen, ya?" Beelzebumon protested.

"Just shut up and move." Vija shoved. "At least we got what we came for."

The four villains emerged from the secret tunnel, only to find a white armored Dukemon and a larger Black MegaloGrowmon waiting right there for them.

"Going somewhere?" Janet taunted, folding her arms.

Dynamo fired off an energy blast that caused the foursome to scatter.

"Persistent fools." Zakar growled.

"Hey kids, I didn't come here for you lot today, but if you're gonna make me..." Beelzebumon drew his guns. "Then I..."

"V-Wing Blade!"

"Gargh!!" Beelzebumon screamed as a V-shaped bolt of blue light slammed into his back, sending him rolling down the hill they were standing on.

"I'm the one you'll be fighting today." An Aero V-dramon, Aeromaru, declared, hovering in the air above. "You're the one they call 'The Hunter'...I remember you..."

"Yeah, that was a while ago." Beelzebumon replied. "And what do you want, ya?"

"You won't remember me...but I do. I've never forgotten...never...ever since then! RRRAAAGGGHHHH!!"

With a scream of fury, Aero tackled the dark rider, breaking out in a fierce struggle. However, the three remaining villains turned back to Jan and Dynamo.

"Well, then we'll just have to take you out ourselves." Zakar said, drawing his sword.

"We won't let you take the Dragon Shield." Janet declared.

"And I second that." Another voice rang out.

A Paildramon came up behind Zakar's group, waist mounted blasters held ready.

"Zoe? You made it!" Janet smiled beneath her helmet.

"Yeah, Aero over there and I followed your trail." Zoe nodded, making a slight gesture towards the battling Aero V-dramon. "He's good at these things."

"But how did you get here so quickly?"

"Aero got us on this express Trailmon!"

"Huh? What?"

"Hmmm...pricy, but spiffy." Dynamo whistled. "Talk about the bullet trains."

"YOU!!" Zoe stared hard.

"Relax." Dynamo waved. "I'm on your side for this fight. Besides, I'm sure you don't want this bunch making it off with your precious artifact, right? Well, I don't want to let that happen either."

"Grrr...it doesn't matter how many of you there are! You're no match for us!" Pija brought her crossbow up and fired, forcing Janet to raise her shield in defense.

At the same time, Vija swung his huge dual swords at Zoe, who somersaulted backwards. Zakar charged towards the larger form of Dynamo.

And so, the battle was joined...

* * *

"Kid! Hey kid! Wake up!" Siavon's voice slowly drew Steve back to consciousness.

"Urgh...huh...AAARRRRGHHHHH!!"

Several other explosions must've occurred while he was out cold, for the room looked even more damaged than before. And there was also the fact that Steve was dangling headfirst over the bottomless chasm.

A mere stroke of dumb luck had prevented him from taking the plunge, as a loose wire had gotten entangled around his left leg and his tail.

"Argh! ARGH!! ARRRGHH!! HELP ME!! HEEELLPPP!!" Steve cried in panic, feeling the wire's hold slipping. He had completely forgotten about the Digivice he possessed, which could've literally given him wings.

"Stop it you idiot! Don't move a muscle!" Siavon ordered. The armored dragon was standing on the section of the bridge connected to the doorway, directly above Steve's hanging position.

From what Steve could see, many parts of the Blackwargreymon's armor were still covered with silver, metallic-like liquid. He seemed extremely drained as well, and Steve doubted that Siavon had enough strength to fly, especially with all the falling debris around.

However, Siavon still clipped both his Dramon Killer claws by his sides and swung his body over the railing.

_Please hurry!_ Steve silently begged, biting his lip.

Balancing on the edge, Siavon reached out for Steve's wire, but fell just short of it. The old warrior then brought up one of his claws, the right claw (with only two fingers left instead of three), and reaching as far down as he could, drove it into the wall below.

Siavon then dropped down, placing a foot on the stuck claw and gripping the bottom of the bridge with his hand. Reaching out, he was barely able to touch the wire and stretched.

For several tense seconds, Siavon grunted as his fingers neared the wire. Then, as an explosion shook the area, Siavon got his hand around it and pulled Steve towards him.

The Flamedramon grabbed his companion's body the moment he was within reach.

"Gagh! Quit strangling me kid!" Siavon gasped.

"Sorry!"

"Climb up, and hurry!"

Nodding, Steve grabbed the railing and hoisted himself up onto the bridge. However, as Siavon reached up, the claw he'd stuck into the wall came loose and fell towards the levels below, disappearing into the darkness.

With his footings lost, Siavon nearly fell, but was able to grip onto the railing in time.

"Urgh...damn, you're heavy!" Steve exclaimed, grabbing his hand. "Come on old timer!"

"Oh shut up." Siavon painfully heaved his body over the edge and back onto the safety of the bridge.

Both then pushed their way into the control room and lay there, panting, for the next few minutes.

"Whew...thanks man." Steve managed. "Guess we're even now, huh?"

"No, you still owe me one more." Siavon replied.

"Well, yeah..." Steve nodded. "But erm...looks like you lost one of your claws."

"Forget about it." Siavon immediately turned towards the door, walking with a slight limp. "Let's get out of here before this places come down on our heads."

"Siavon..."

* * *

"Gargh! Stand still!" Vija yelled, missing another swipe at Zoe.

Zoe nimbly ducked under one sword, then leapt over the other and drove a kick into his face.

"Ugh…not bad." The Vajramon muttered, rubbing the side of his face with his elbow.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." She growled, taking a fighting stance. "Esgrima!"

Upon the vocal command, the spikes attached to each of her wrists extended. Zoe used these to match Vija's sword strokes, blocking and parrying in a furious slashing match.

"Roda!" Vija pierced his swords into the ground, creating a shockwave the sent Zoe to the ground.

Stunned, Zoe was barely able to avoid his follow-up attack by sliding between his legs.

"Elemental Bolt!" She cried, throwing off an electric burst from her claws.

Vija took a hit in the back, but he shook it off and whirled around, ready for more.

Zoe found herself barely even thinking about the next move, reacting on instinct and motion. She blocked an attack from the left, then right, and rolled beneath another slash. With a hand planted firmly on the ground for support, she launched a sweeping kick, which took Vija's four feet out from beneath him, sending him rolling over.

_Wow…that was intense…_She thought. _But I got off with just a bunch of small bruises._

"Your style…it's so much like her…" Vija shook his head, pulling himself to his feet. "No, it couldn't be. But I have to know…someday…"

"What are you talking about?" Zoe demanded.

"I would know the name of a warrior such as yourself." Vija pointed a sword at her.

"…Zoe."

"Well met then. I am Vija of the 12 Devas. Remember that. We'll meet again."

"Huh?"

"Zakar had the shield if you want it." Vija called as he turned and fled, leaving Zoe standing there in bewilderment.

"I'm so much like who?" She wondered. "My style? What's with him? He was going all out at first, but after the fight, he looked…just confused…"

BANG!!

Zoe jumped, the sounds of the battle snapping her out of her trance. Her fight had taken her some distance away from the others, and they could probably use the help.

* * *

"Jumonji Kiri!" (Cross Slash)

Zakar swung his left blade, creating an energy wave that slammed into Dynamo's body, leaving large cuts in his armor.

"RRARRGGHH!!"

As the larger Digimon fell, he turned towards Janet, who was still distracted blocking Pija's crossbow bolts. Zakar charged and slashed at Jan as she turned around, landing a slice along her shoulder armor and her red cape.

"Whoa...gargh..." Janet panted, whirling around to defend herself.

"Hey you!" Pija called from another direction.

Startled, Jan took a shot in the back from Pija, sending her flying.

"Argh...ow…" She moaned, opening her eyes to see Zakar standing over her, swords raised.

"This ends now…gargh!!"

Dynamo had suddenly moved in and swung his tail, tossing Zakar away.

"Rarr…it takes more than that to stop me." Dynamo growled. "Hey, you OK princess?"

"Fine." Janet nodded, getting to her feet. "And…erm…thanks."

"Don't thank me till we're done here." Dynamo winced, lowering his voice. "Hey, I'll give you an opening, so you hit them while they're distracted."

"All right." Janet nodded.

"Yo, you bozos!" Dynamo taunted. "Bet ya can't hit me...and I'm wider than the broad side of a barn!"

"Why you!!" Pija yelled angrily, raising her crossbow. "Vafunijuvara!"

"Jumonji Kiri!" Zakar let loose his attack as well.

"Atomic Blaster!" Dynamo skipped to the side and fired his chest-mounted cannons at the ground, creating a blinding explosion that dissipated the two attacks. "Now!"

"Final Elysian!!" Janet rolled into a position at the right side of their opponents and launched the powerful energy blast.

Screaming, the Pajirimon and Zanbamon were sent flying, crashing into a pile of boulders several feet away.

"Man, I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that attack this time." Dynamo commented. "Look! He's dropped the shield! Get it!!"

The golden, circular object lay beside the fallen villains, it's well polished surface reflecting the moonlight. Janet made a dash for it, reaching the Dragon Shield just as Zakar was getting up.

"Die!! It's mine!!" The warrior shouted, swinging his sword.

Jan broke into a rolling leap, snatching the shield off the ground and barely avoiding the fatal sword strike. However, it did slice much of her tattered red cape off.

"Royal Saber!!" The white knight sprang to her feet and lashed out with her lightning fast lance strokes, driving Zakar back.

"Out of the way!" Dynamo ordered. "Atomic Blaster!"

"Holy shit!!" Janet was thrown off her feet as Dynamo fired his lasers with full intensity, resulting in an explosion that disintegrated Zakar and Pija, leaving a large blackened crater behind.

"Dammit!! What were you trying to do?! Hit me?!" Janet screamed as soon as she'd gotten to her feet.

"With that, of course not." Dynamo winked. "THIS is for you!"

Before she could react, Dynamo raised a claw and fired a spear-like device from an opening in his palm. Janet gagged as the spear pierced her through the stomach.

"Garghh...back...stabbing...b#&tard..." She managed, before collapsing, unconscious.

"Hey! I'm insulted! I shot you from the front, fair and square!" Dynamo muttered. "OK, let's see...how was it again?"

The armored dinosaur moved to Janet's limp form and placed a claw on the spear he'd shot her with. The spear lit up with a purple light as the Digital Hazard symbol materialized above it. Slowly, energy flowed from Janet's form to Dynamo's.

Shrouded in the purple energy, Dynamo let off a roar as he began to evolve. His gigantic Black MegaloGrowmon shrunk down considerably, taking on a more humanoid shape.

It looked exactly like Dukemon, except for the coloring. Where Dukemon had a red cape, helmet and red sections of armor, Dynamo's new form had blue instead. And instead of being mostly white, his armor was of a dark gray, almost black.

"Chaos Dukemon." Dynamo laughed, looking over himself. "It worked! Tapping into her Digital Hazard and draining some of its powers. Hmmm...wait till Junon sees me like this! Haha!"

Dynamo walked over to Janet's unconscious body, which had reverted to its Guilmon state. The spear had ended up outside of her smaller body mass and fell to the side.

"Sorry princess, but I had to borrow this from you." He grinned, stroking her head. "So, no hard feelings when you wake up, eh?"

_Then again, she's much more peaceful when she's asleep._

Dynamo was so pleased with his evolution accomplishment and his obtaining of the shield that he failed to notice Janet's body glowing once he'd turned his back.

The symbol of the Digital Hazard was hovering above her form, and it too was changing. Large leathery wings were sprouting, armor forming, legs fusing into a single serpent tail.

Silently, the red D-Dragon strapped to her claw shattered as well.

"Wait a minute. The Digital Hazard is an energy source that exists within my species." Dynamo said to himself whilst fingering the Dragon Shield. "And I only took part of hers, part of what she had a strong connection to. That was what she was able to utilize to become Dukemon. I avoided draining too much so that I wouldn't lose control, but at the same time, the process essentially left her with an instable, uncontrollable energy source that..."

Upon feeling a hot breath at the back of his neck, Dynamo froze in the midst of his musings.

_That could result in unpredictable evolutions... _

"Erm...princess...?"

A thunderous roar rang out from behind him, with so much force that he fell over. From his downed position, Dynamo spun round...and found himself staring into the very angry red eyes of a huge, ferocious Megidramon.

"Jan...that...you...?" Dynamo asked meekly.

"RRRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!"

"SON OF A B#&CH!! AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!"

* * *

Aero sprang forward, grasping one hand around his opponent's gun arm and the other around his neck. Grunting, the two furiously wrestled and shoved, each one trying to maintain his balance at the same time.

Beelzebumon pushed forward with a sudden burst of strength, pointing his gun at Aero's head. The blue dragon immediately jerked his head to the side, the deafening shot missing him by inches. Aero bit down, causing his opponent to scream and drop his weapon in pain.

The Aero V-dramon sprang away in anticipation, but Beelzebumon still managed to give him a left hook to the side of his face, followed by a side kick. Aero spun to the ground and swung his tail in a sweeping motion to throw Beelzebumon off balance.

Still on the ground, Aero shot both his legs upwards, straight into the biker's chin. Beelzebumon took the hit, but retaliated with a roundhouse kick that sent Aero rolling over to the side.

"Damn, you're good, ya? And I ain't even holding back." Beelzebumon panted.

"You...you're the reason..." Aero growled, clutching his side. "I won't stop...until..."

"Aero!" Zoe's voice rang out.

"Don't interfere now!" The blue dragon yelled, watching through the corner of his eye. "I have to..."

"Behemoth now!" Beelzebumon suddenly called, springing to the side.

That was when Aero heard the roaring of a bike's engines and jerked his head up to see Beelzebumon speeding off on the machine.

"NO! Dammit! Arghh..." Aero cursed, spreading his wings.

"Aero, let him go." Zoe (as Paildramon) grabbed him by the shoulders and held the struggling dragon down. "You're hurt you idiot! You shouldn't be fighting in this condition."

It took a couple of minutes, but the Aero V-dramon finally relaxed and dropped to the ground.

"Urgh...yeah...sorry..." Aero muttered, wiping the bleeding left side of his mouth. "I think I lost a couple of teeth, but nothing's broken."

"Good to hear that." Zoe nodded. "But, erm..."

"Yeah?"

"What was that between you and Beelzebumon? I've never seen you completely freak out like that before."

"He was known as Hunter when I first met him. That was when I was a cadet back in military school." The blue dragon explained. "My partner and I, we were out on a field training mission. It wasn't supposed to be too much, just a simple patrol around town. But then we came across Hunter robbing a bank. My partner, Alicia, wanted to call for backup. But I, I went in for the attack instead."

"And?"

"There was a struggle, and Alicia took a bullet in the head that was meant for me." Aero's whole body trembled as he said that. "She was more than just my partner. She was a friend a cared a lot about."

"I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't be Zoe. Don't be. It was my mistake to begin with. They didn't throw me out of the academy for that accident. And it made me work even harder. I graduated and went into the Special Ops, then eventually split into my own private investigation business. I spent years tracking him unsuccessfully, and now, he appears here."

"He's apparently working for someone who wants something from my group." Zoe commented, thinking back to their first encounter with the biker. "That's all I know, but I have a feeling he'll show up again sometime."

Suddenly, a thunderous roar sounded throughout the area.

"What the? Where did that come from?" Zoe wondered.

"Seems to be from the top of this hill." Aero pointed upwards.

"That's where Janet was fighting. Come on, let's go!"

* * *

"What the heck was that?" Steve asked, hearing the roar upon reaching the surface.

"Doesn't sound very good." Siavon remarked.

"Hey wait! Over there!" Steve ran out of the secret tunnel and onto an open plateau to witness as astonishing sight.

Locked in fierce combat were a black colored Chaos Dukemon and a Megidramon. And considering the black knight was inside the dragon's mouth, desperately trying to hold the jaws open, it was safe to say that he was on the losing side.

"Steve! W-what's going on?" Zoe appeared on the opposite side of the dragon and knight fight, together with Aeromaru by her side.

"Hell if I know." Steve replied.

"HELP!! SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!!" The black knight screamed.

"That's a she?" Aero stared.

"Dynamo?!" Zoe realized. "What the hell did you do?! And where's Jan?!"

"This is her!!" Dynamo screamed. "I didn't do it! Not really! I didn't mean for it to happen like this!!"

"Erm, guys...there's a broken Digivice strapped to that dragon's left hand." Steve pointed. "And according to my Digivice, I think that really is her."

"Gargh!! ARGH!!" Dynamo frantically kicked the side of Megidramon's mouth.

The gigantic creature shook its head in pain, flinging Dynamo out of its mouth, sending him rolling down the hill and out of sight. A golden shield that he was carrying fell from his hands, landing in the grass nearby.

"RRRAAAGGHHH!!"

"Jan! You can hear me in there right?" Zoe called. "It's us! We're your friends! You have to snap out of it!"

"Watch out!" Aero tackled her, taking them both down, just in time to avoid a fiery breath of flames.

"Gargh!!" Steve and Siavon were forced to duck into the tunnel as Megidramon spewed more flames and began trashing about violently.

After several seconds of burning everything around it, Megidramon spread its wings and took to the sky.

* * *

"Jan! JAN!!" Steve emerged from his hiding place, yelling in vain.

"I don't think she really hears us." Aero remarked as the four gathered in a circle.

"Steve, I wish we had better circumstances for our reunion, but it's nice to see you again." Zoe spoke.

"Yeah, I think so too." Steve muttered, hanging his head. "Well, we've got the Dragon Shield and the Dagger here, but Jan..."

"Dynamo, that no-good son of a b#&ch!" Zoe cracked her knuckles.

"That would seem to be the least of our problems right now." Siavon commented. "Kid, did you manage to get some data on Megidramon with that device of yours?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's right!" Steve nodded, bringing up the holographic display screen of his Digivice, scrolling through the words and numbers. "Erm...I don't get much of this."

"The Digital Hazard?" Zoe read. "I think that was what Janet was concerned about earlier on."

"It's supposedly some energy source Guilmon have." Aero explained. "Whatever that guy did, it seems to have caused the Hazard to run wildly out of control, spreading it almost like a virus. I'm afraid I'm not a medic, that's Gold's job."

"A virus...?" Siavon said to himself.

"Gold and the other Digimetal Knights." Steve nodded. "They would be kinda helpful right now. Any way we could contact them?"

"They're miles away, it'd be impossible for them to get here in time to do anything." Zoe said.

"I mean have them analyze the information. Then maybe we could get a few ideas about what we can to about Janet's condition."

"Well, once I got their e-mail address from Aero, I used my Digivice to send them a message and let them know we were all right." Zoe thought.

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but..." Aero pointed upwards.

The dark sky had gotten even darker as heavy clouds moved in, filling much of the night sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Great, it's going to interfere with out reception." Zoe sighed.

"I have something in mind." Siavon suddenly spoke up. "If it's a virus you say, then we'd obviously need an anti-virus. Or an antibody perhaps?"

"What are you getting at Siavon?" Steve queried.

"That mountain over there." The old warrior gestured to a large formation several miles away. "I recognize it from the images I've seen. It's where the X-Antibody is said to be obtained, from the very tops of its cliffs."

"The X-Antibody? Fascinating..." Aero trailed off.

"And how will it help Jan?" Steve continued.

"It should help clear out the virus within her, much like herbs or medicine would help heal wounds." Siavon told him. "The mountain is dangerous and the X-Antibody supposedly guarded, but it's worth a shot."

"Until we come up with a better plan at least." Zoe nodded.

"I may be able to establish an internet connection for one of your devices too." Siavon added in. "I'll just need the right equipment from this underground base here. The upper levels should still be stable enough for me to work with."

"Damn, you're a miracle worker, old timer!" Steve grinned.

"Hey, there's no guarantee that it'll work."

"But there's a chance right? I'll go after the antibody then." Steve declared, holding his Digivice to his chest. In a flash of light, his Flamedramon form vanished, replaced by the winged armor type, Gargoylemon.

Steve also handed the two Dragon artifacts to Siavon.

"No, it's too dangerous. Let me...arghh..." Aero tried to spread his wings, only to feel the pain of his wounds and his exhaustion holding him back.

"You're staying here with Siavon. At least rest for a while." Zoe insisted.

"I'll be back as soon as I can guys." Steve took to the air. "And Siavon, catch! You'll need to use this too."

The BlackWargreymon extended a hand and caught Steve's Digivice.

"Be careful Steve." Zoe told him. "We're counting on you."

"I won't let you guys down. Especially Janet." Steve said softly as he flew off in the opposite direction.

The roars of Megidramon drew the trio's attention to the dark skies.

"Well, she's not the least bothered about the weather." Siavon muttered.

"This isn't good..." Aero realized. "If she keeps heading in that direction, she'll reach some of the nearby settlements. And who knows what'll happen."

"I'll keep her occupied." Zoe said firmly.

"But..."

"No buts soldier. You're in no condition to do it, and I think Siavon could use the help of someone who knows Gold when he sends the information."

"Yes, well..."

"Trust me." The Paildramon winked, tapping her Digivice. "I have this if I need it."

"All right." Aero nodded, finally forced to admit defeat.

"Come on blue boy, let's get to work." Siavon waved, walking back towards the tunnel that led down into the underground base.

"Yeah...hey, you're that Siavon right? The famous armorer?" Aero asked.

"If you want to call me that."

"Wow, this is amazing! Fancy meeting you at a time like this! Don't know if you know me, but I was the three time champion of the D-1 Battle Tournament."

As the two disappeared into the passageway, Zoe turned towards the sky.

"OK, let's do this." She whispered.

* * *

The rain was pouring down, beating loudly on the old metal roof of the train station. However, it didn't bother Dynamo the least.

He hadn't stopped running, even for a second, after his brush in with Megidramon. Upon reaching the station, he'd pulled out the laptop he'd hidden there earlier and went online, using a miniature antenna device.

"Junon, come in. Junon!" Dynamo called into his headset, fiddling with the knobs on the antenna.

Even though there was a lot of static in the background, Dynamo could still make out his colleague's voice.

"Junon here. How did it go?"

"Well, that evolution upgrade for myself certainly worked."

"I'm happy for you then. And about your other mission objectives?"

"The base is busted, and so are a couple of the smugglers."

"That's good."

"But the Dragon Artifacts are sort of...out of my reach."

"WHAT?!"

"Hey, I didn't know that the spear's draining capabilities would led to the Guilmon's Digital Hazard going wild after I drained part of it. I almost got eaten alive by a mad, hungry Megidramon for crying out loud! I barely made it out in one piece! Why didn't you tell me that could've happened in the first place?!"

"As a technical expert, I thought you could've figured that out on your own."

"Well, yeah..."

"Forget it. Get back to base ASAP. That group will be busy trying to cure their companion's virally infected state for a while, and we've got things for you to do here."

"But..."

"You wanted in on the Royal Knights didn't you? Now's your chance Dynamo."

"I still do. I'll be there." Dynamo nodded, silently wanting to hit the pink knight in the face for his absolutely egotistical attitude.

"Roger, I'll see you back at base."

"Hold on a second Junon, the Hazard is running through her body like a virus, right? But the Hazard is also 'part' of her being, so to say, removing the Hazard's effects through any means of antibody programs, that would be potentially fatal, wouldn't it?"

"Of course." Junon casually replied.

"All right, just to check." Dynamo broke the connection and leaned back against the wall.

He should've been very proud of his accomplishment, having hit his Mega level form of Chaos Dukemon. But as he sat back in silence, glancing down at his new, shinny gauntlets, something just didn't feel right.

The earlier incident was bugging him a lot more than he'd expected.

"Those guys...and Jan..."

Dynamo was sure at least one of them would be smart enough to go out and find an antibody, whether being from a nearby medical center or town. But that wouldn't be enough to clear out the Digital Hazard virus form...it could in fact make matters worse.

At that, Dynamo brought up another screen on his computer and began furiously typing.

An antibody alone wouldn't be able to remove the virus, but perhaps an antibody AND something he could design would do just that...

* * *

Even considering everything she'd been through, flying in a torrential rainstorm was something new to Zoe. Up ahead, she spotted the Megidramon form of Janet.

Zoe closed in, weapons ready. She didn't want to hurt her friend, but there seemed to be no other alternative.

_Just keep the shooting to a minimum and lead Janet around the mountains to keep her occupied. _

"Desperado Blaster!"

The blue energy bolts which struck Megidramon's back barely even scratched it, but were enough to attract its attention.

"Hey! Over here! Hey!" Zoe fired a few more shots, then turned and fled as Megidramon gave chase.

The surrounding mountains formed an intertwining mountain range with a river running through its valley. Zoe sped through the course, twisting and turning around corners, moving up and down to avoid rocky projections.

It was simply exhilarating, much like a flight simulator video game.

Megidramon however, was bashing through everything in sight. The loud smashes caused Zoe to turn back every now and then.

Unfortunately, she only realized it was a rather bad idea when she faced forward again. A protruding tree branch was right in her path and Zoe got caught on it, sending her spinning out of control, screaming.

_I have to...use this...now..._She thought, clutching her blue D-Dragon with one claw. _How does it...work...?_

Zoe was trying to focus in the midst of her wild spinning when an image snapped into her mind. Imperialdramon Dragon Mode, herself, with its huge blue cannon, firing on Megidramon.

The power...and the destruction it could cause...

_NO...I...I can't..._

Zoe suddenly realized she had her eyes closed, and forced them open. Only to see Megidramon right in front of her.

The corrupted dragon slammed Zoe before she could react, sending her plunging into the cold, dark waters below.


	24. Legendary Mountain

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong are copyright to Bandai / Toei animation / Saban entertainment. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Legendary Mountain**

By nightdragon0

"Zoe! Come in! Answer me!" Aero yelled into the com-link, slamming his fists against the table. "Damn!"

"Hitting the machine isn't going to make it work." Siavon looked up.

The two were seated at a monitor in one of the underground base's control rooms. Siavon had hooked up Steve's Digivice and sent the information over to Aero's friend, Gold.

Aero however, wasn't one to sit still while the data was being analyzed, so he'd tried contacting Zoe through her Digivice, both vocally and through text messages, using some of the computer systems.

Zoe wasn't answering, and Aero was getting very worked up over it. She might be too busy to answer, or the storm had gotten worse and was causing more interference than before. Or perhaps Zoe just couldn't reply? The possibilities were endless, and none of them good.

"Can't we get a stronger signal?" Aero asked.

"It's pretty strong as it is." Siavon replied.

"Then why can't we get to her? You can reach the Digimetal Knights, and their castle is much further away."

"And they also have better communication equipment, like the computers in this base. The girl doesn't, I'm afraid. She might be able to hear us, but probably not be able to respond."

"Grrr...I hate this!" Aero threw his arms up in frustration.

"You're very worried about her." Siavon leaned over to his side.

"Of course I am!"

"I meant worried in a...deeper sense."

"Huh...I...no. Hey, she's not my girlfriend or anything if that's what you were thinking! She likes someone else for crying out loud!"

"I see, competition?"

"No! I...it's just my fault that dragon is missing right now." Aero hung his head. "I wanted to make it up to her, but looks like I'm only being a burden."

* * *

Darkness...it was all around him. Silent, motionless...an infinite, empty void.

Yet sometimes, there would be flashes, scenes.

It was himself, the dragon, on the hunt. There below was his prey, and he swooped down from the sky like a hawk for a mouse. Only his prey was a much larger lizard.

The victim ran, but it was already too late. The chase was over before it even began. The predator was upon it, latching onto its back, sinking his razor-like fangs into the weakened creature's neck.

Blood flowed freely from the wound as the dying creature struggled in its final moments.

He'd enjoyed it, the hunt. Time now to claim his reward, devouring the victim's limb carcass. Flesh which broke into data for his taking.

More...he wanted more...

And yet, somewhere...something...someone was screaming. Yelling that it wasn't right. He was still fighting, resisting.

_NO! Stop this!! STOP THIS!! STOP THIS NOW!! _

(Damn it kid, I can't turn you into a mindless killing machine if you keep resisting me.) An image of AncientGreymon's face appeared at the edge of his view.

_Arrogant...sadistic freak! I...won't have a mind left if you keep doing this to me!! _

(According to my calculations, what's causing most of your anguish is your current condition of being stuck as a statue. And who's fault is that?)

_Enough!! Stop it!! _

(Then, you'll start screaming for me a few minutes later. Can't make up your mind, eh?)

_GGGAARRGGHHH!! _

(The little things that send your mentality on a downward spiral. I'm surprised you don't want to just let it all go. Your mind can be free, no need to think, no need to feel, no emotions, but simply raw, untamed instinct.)

_And what? Let me go on another killing streak once I'm free?! _Sekata directed his thoughts towards the ancient dragon.

(Now that would be fun, wouldn't it?)

_I would never stoop to the level of an abomination like you!! Never!! NEVER!!_

(Abomination? I'm insulted, my boy. Considering how much we're already alike.)

_I am NOTHING LIKE YOU!!_

(So certain, are you? Well, I am a little bored myself, so I'll give you a little treat, my friend. Sit back and watch.)

This was something new. For all of however long he'd been trapped like this, Sekata hadn't heard his tormentor respond that way before. He didn't have much time to think though, as his limited vision broke into a bright flash.

* * *

"This must be the one." Steve said to himself. "The Legendary Mountain where the X-Antibody is located. Just hang on Janet..."

Battling the stormy winds, Steve carefully maneuvered, circling the mountainside. He'd already flown as high up as he could, the gale preventing him from going any more without the danger of the winds smashing him into the rocky walls.

Eventually, he found a sheltered cove and steered towards it, managing the landing with a couple of light bruises.

"Whew, at least that went all right." He gasped, shaking the water off his wings. "What am I saying? I'm cold, soaking wet and have a hard trek ahead. Well, it could be worse..."

The cavern seemed to lead through the interior of the mountain and Steve took a couple of steps forward before landing a foot on a hidden trap.

"WWAARRGGHH!!" He was suddenly scooped off his feet by a large rope net, which was attached to the top of the cavern. The sudden motion threw him upwards, smacking his head against the ceiling, walls and floor due to the 'spring' effect. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! HEY!! What's going on?!"

"Fell for that one again, eh?" A familiar voice laughed.

"What?! Aw no! Not you again!!"

Black WereGarurumon and Dogmon stepped out of the shadows, giving each other high fives.

"We expected to see some other treasure hunters around here, but certainly not the likes of you." The werewolf commented.

"Treasure hunters? You losers? Don't make me laugh!" Steve growled.

"That, coming from the lizard who's hanging upside down."

"Grrr...you...!!" Steve struggled with the net, but the mechanism behind it had pulled it to a secure position on the ceiling. He wouldn't be swinging his way out of the net like he'd done the last time.

"And who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" Black WereGarurumon continued with his taunting. "Heh, since you're hanging out here, we'll the claiming the X-Antibody...along with a large cash reward."

"Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea!" Dogmon giggled.

"Oh yeah! Just wait till I get out of here! We'll see who gets the last laugh!!" Steve declared, watching the duo depart. "I'll show you!! GGAARRGGHH!!"

There was nothing else Steve could do at the moment but start gnawing on the rope net with his sharp fangs.

* * *

"Almost there..." The voice panted.

Sekata would've blinked if he could. Instead, his field of vision was moving, as if he were running through the thick forested area ahead. Protruding from 'his' face was a blue snout with a single horn at the end of it.

The view moved, and a blue, scale covered hand came into sight. 'His' hand, so to say. Sekata realized he was merely watching the events through someone else's eyes. He could neither feel any part of 'his' body, nor influence any of its actions.

Whoever's body his mind was in just kept running.

All of a sudden, a series of pillars rose from beneath the leaf-covered ground. Each one fired off multiple arrows, which 'he' first evaded with some leaping maneuvers. He then followed up by drawing a sword and deflecting the arrows.

"Ha, that all?" He grinned, as he made his way through the gauntlet.

At the end of that was a swinging spiked log attached to the trees.

"Whoa!" The warrior dropped to his stomach, barely avoiding being skewered, then rolled forward and continued running.

He dropped into a ditch just as the spiked log swung overhead.

"Yes! Here it is!" He crawled forward to a large brown box nestled amongst the leaves and tore the lock off. Within was a rolled up piece of parchment, tied with a red ribbon, which he grabbed. "It's in the bag! Am I good or what?"

Triumphantly, the warrior climbed out and made his way along the trail. All went well until he emerged into an opening in the forest. At the point, someone pounced onto him from behind, sending him rolling over.

"What the?! Damn you Wein!!" The warrior yelled angrily, realizing his hard earned scroll had been snatched by his attacker.

"Later Rodi!" A Flybeemon waved.

This Digimon was a red colored humaniod insect, the armored form of Hawkmon with the Digimetal of Knowledge. He had two pairs of dragonfly wings and a couple of Hawkmon style feathers decorating his helmet.

Wein chucked a silver ball at the ground which subsequently exploded in a cloud of white smoke.

_Rodi? _Sekata wondered. _So, this is Rodi's memory I'm watching?_

It seemed to make sense. Like the one in his 'dream', which he didn't want to think too much about, this Rodi was an XV-mon.

"Gargh!!" Rodi coughed, taking off in hot pursuit. "You won't get away!!"

The chase took them to the base of a waterfall with a wide river. Wein, the Flybeemon, immediately began leaping across a series of stepping stones, the only way across the river.

_Not using his wings? _Sekata thought.

Rodi was still on his opponent's tail when a third figure burst out from beneath the water's surface.

It was a Renamon, who tossed a breathing pipe aside and sprinted across the water. The two guys hesitated a moment too long, enough for her to drive a spinning kick into Wein's face, landing him in the water with a loud splash.

"Sorry, but the scroll's mine!" She winked.

"We'll see about that Luna! Rargh!!" Rodi spread his wings and broke into a diving tackle, knocking Luna to the opposite river bank.

Wein had managed to pull himself out of the water and was just in time to join in Rodi and Luna's brawl, which ended up tossing the scroll to the side.

All three noticed it at the same time and sprang for it...only the smack each other's heads when the scroll was pulled away.

"Ow! Damn! Who...?" Wein looked up. "Uh...Sensei?"

"Director?!" Luna gasped.

"Hey, erm, dad. What's up?" Rodi said nervously.

Standing before them was a golden armored Wargreymon, clutching the scroll in one of his clawed hands.

"All of you failed the test! Miserably!" The dragon man roared.

* * *

"Rargh! Where is that furry freak?!" Steve fumed. "I'm gonna show him what I'm made of!"

Having finally gotten himself out of the rope netting, Steve had made his way through the cavern and emerged onto a path at the interior of the mountain. He was standing at the bottom of a large crater, where many tall trees were growing. Their branches intertwined so much that the sky was barely visible.

This section was much better sheltered from the winds, and the rain was letting up too.

"Well, seems things might be a little better." Steve told himself as he jogged forward. "I'd better start looking for a way to the summit. Hey, I could just fly up there...GAHRG!!"

Suddenly, a spinning object slammed into his back. It immediately burst into a rope that entangled itself around his upper body, tying his wings and arms down. Steve had barely recovered from the shock before Black WereGarurumon leapt down from the trees above and pulled a straightjacket over him, securing it with a leather strap as well.

"Hey! Get this thing off me!!" Steve struggled in vain, his wings useless and arms stuck as his waist level.

"Just taking care of the competition!" The werewolf somersaulted over a lighter patch of dirt to where Dogmon was standing.

The two Canines had coordinated their trap well, and struck a 'V' for victory pose with their fingers. Utterly outraged, Steve charged forward, stepped onto the lighter dirt patch, and found himself plunging straight into a pitfall.

"WWARRGHH!!"

SPLAT!!

Steve hit the bottom headfirst and rolled over, seeing stars swirling in front of his eyes.

"Looks like ya fell for that too!" Black WereGarurumon taunted.

"Dammit! That's not fair!!" Steve yelled, still struggling with his restrains. The straightjacket was too thick for him to bite through and the strap fastening it to his body was way too low for Steve to reach with his jaws.

"Fair? Haven't ya heard? It doesn't matter how you play the game...it's whether you win or lose!" Black WereGarurumon replied. "Well, see ya at the top...if you make it!"

"Grrrr...you!! You just wait you son of a b#&ch!! I'm gonna kick your ass with both my hands tied behind my back!! Just wait and see!!" Steve roared despite hearing the footsteps of his rivals departing. "After I...after I...uh...AFTER I GET OUT OF THIS HOLE!!"

* * *

"But...that's not fair!" Rodi protested. "I had the scroll first!"

"After making a total ruckus and triggering every single trap. Not to mention breaking the test rules and using your wings!"

"But..."

"And Wein, you should've been able to execute a more efficient ambush, considering Rodi's complete lack of stealth." The Wargreymon continued. "Same for you Luna, your breathing pipe was in a very conspicuous position, which these two still failed to notice."

While Wein and Luna stared in disbelief, Rodi stamped up to his father.

"Dad, what's with all the dumb rules?! You think it would be the obvious choice to just fly out of danger?" The XV-mon yelled.

"Flight will not always be an option." His father replied sternly. "Have you learnt nothing from your training?! I don't know why I bother keeping you as a student. The three of you, keep training. And report back to the academy in two hours."

"Grrrr..." Rodi glared at the floor, his fists trembling with rage. "I don't know why I bother being your son!!"

"I expect more of you BECAUSE you are my son." His father called back, taking flight.

"I HATE YOU!!" Rodi roared.

"Whoa, calm down man!" Wein grabbed his friend's arm.

"You wouldn't be if you've failed this test six times!!" Rodi panted. "Sorry..."

"This is my fourth, I'm not much better." Luna sighed, dropping into a seating position.

"Fifth for me." Wein nodded.

* * *

"Hmmm...your contact's analysis seems pretty detailed." Siavon commented. "And unfortunately, it also shows that the situation isn't very good."

"What do you mean by that?" Aero walked over to the screen.

"Hazard seems to be running wild, as if it were a virus. However, it is also 'part' of the affected one, being a Guilmon species. So removing the Hazard's effects through any means of antibody programs would be potentially fatal..."

"Oh, that's just great! You just sent one of her buddies up the mountain for nothing! What are we supposed to do about it now?"

"There is still a chance that the antibody will work. Either that or we'd need to design something to 'draw out' the corrupted data. I'm afraid I lack the technical knowledge for...hmm? A message?"

Siavon brought up another window on the screen.

"Follow these details and the device will be able to remove the hazard's effects." Aero read. "A friend of yours?"

"No. And it wasn't sent by the Gold either. But they're the only ones who know we're even here." Siavon commented.

"But who would just send us a bunch of plans like that?" Aero wondered.

Siavon didn't answer, but brought up the attached images onto another screen. Immediately, his eyes widened with interest.

"Whoever sent it, I have to say that they're exactly what we need." Siavon said excitedly.

"It looks like some sort of bracelet to me." Aero scratched his head. "But as long as you think it's alright. Will you be able to build it?"

"It's small and simple enough, so it shouldn't take too long."

"Good, while you work on it here..." Aero stretched his wings and headed for the door. "I'm going out to look for Zoe. I can't leave her out there alone any longer."

* * *

"Whew..." Dynamo closed his laptop and leaned back against the wall of the old train station. "Well, provided they use it properly, that bracelet should have the capability to remove the Hazard's virus form."

Exhausted, he closed his eyes and tried to calm his tense body. Coming up with a novel idea like he'd just done was quite a task, especially under the time constrains.

He'd have to leave soon, however, and wouldn't be around to see the results of his new device.

"Well, if she survives this, I guess I'll see her again." The black knight said to himself.

* * *

"Gargh...yuck...the things I have to go through." Steve was still spitting dirt out of his mouth as he walked.

Trying to climb out of the pit without using his hands had been a daunting task, but by digging his clawed feet into the sides and grabbing hard rocks or tree roots in his jaws, he'd eventually made it out. Of course, with getting entire mouthfuls of soil, plus hurting his butt because of his multiple falls.

His only consolation was that Black WereGarurumon had left a long trail of muddy footprints for him to follow.

"Yeah, these things always happen to me." Steve complained to no one in particular. "It's like there's a bad luck rain cloud hanging over my headd...yargh!!"

At that moment, the Gargoylemon slipped and landed face-flat in a puddle of mud.

"Ow..."

* * *

"Yeah, sucks huh? It's like there's a bad luck rain cloud hanging over my head." Rodi flopped onto his back. "Stupid old lizard! He's always holding me back! Uphold the family name, uphold this, uphold that. Keep this rule, keep this tradition...I wonder if he even remembers I'm his son at times?"

"At least you have some family." Luna turned towards him. "I lost mine a long time ago, to this CHAOS thing. The academy is all I have left now."

"I've heard about that. Some crazy guy was trying to harness its dark power and got possessed. Then they had to kill him." Rodi commented. "But it's gone now, right?"

"I don't know..."

"Still, you never appreciate something till it's gone." Wein added in. "You'd know if you were just abandoned one day like me."

"Yeah, well..." Rodi closed his eyes. "Hey, what's going on back at the academy?"

"I think today is the award ceremony for the warrior cadets." Luna replied.

"Wonderful, another ceremony we'll walk out of empty handed." Wein sighed.

"In that case, why bother going at all?" Rodi beamed. "We're at a waterfall right? And the water's great today!"

"All right!!" His companions cheered, as all three rushed for the water.

(Hahah, that was me when I was your age.) AncientGreymon's voice rang out. (The young, ignorant, rebellious kid who wanted to break free. Sound like a certain someone?)

_I...argh..._ Sekata stuttered.

(Can't admit that's how you were back in your old life? Well, I expected as much. Ironic though, I wasn't even a Greymon myself, and look how I ended up. Still, it was skipping class that day that actually saved our lives.)

_What?! _

(I'd tell you more, but looks like reality's calling you back.)

_Huh? Wait! _

Despite Sekata's protests, the scene of the past faded away, bringing him back to his dark, blurry vision. Only now, there was something...someone, nearby.

* * *

"Hey, are you all right? Hey!"

"Gargh! Urgh!!" Zoe sprang up, coughing out water before she was finally able to catch her breath and take note of her surroundings.

"Are you all right?" The voice asked again.

"Yes, thank you." Zoe muttered, turning her head. "Huh? You?!"

Her rescuer was none other than Vija, who'd pulled her out of the river Janet/ Megidramon had previously knocked her into. Zoe was in Paildramon form, but she still backed away in shock.

"You needn't be afraid. I now realize who you truly are." Vija said.

Zoe took a quick glance around the area, noting that they were at the entrance to a small cavern by the river bank, before turning to face the Vajramon.

"What...do you mean?"

"Kaia...you've come back at last..."

"Hey, I'm not this Kaia, whoever...whoa!" Zoe jumped back as Vija reached out for her shoulder. "Stay away!"

"Show me those moves again." Vija drew his sword and thrust forward.

Zoe spun to the side and deflected the blow with her wrist-mounted Esgrima blades. Vija pressed on and Zoe was forced to block several more times before rolling under a final swing and executing a sweeping kick. This time, Vija leapt over the low attack.

"Indeed, your style is the same as before." Vija whispered. "Kaia, I knew you would return one day. Not even death could keep you from me, my love."

Zoe was starting to understand the cause behind the centaur's obsession, but it certainly wasn't the most reassuring feeling.

"Damn! Even if I look like or fight like your late fiancée, I'm not!!" Zoe said, retracting her blades. "I'm not Kaia!"

"Why do you run from my, my love? We've waited so long to be together..."

"Get away!!"

In panic, Zoe accidentally backed herself further into the cavern. It was lit by several lanterns hanging on the walls, their dim light revealing many cloth-covered boxes, small statues and other miscellaneous items around.

Then, something knocked against her back and Zoe felt a cold claw on her shoulder. Screaming, she pulled away, spinning around to find that it was a statue of a humanoid red dragon. However, this was no statue...she could just feel it.

"Sekata!" Zoe gasped.

* * *

Eventually, the footprints led Steve to the entrance of another cave at the side of the crater. Cautiously, he peered in to make sure the coast was clear, and then stepped in.

"Wow..."

It was hard to say if it was a natural or artificial formation, but it still was an astonishing sight. The area was tall and wide, with dozens of stone passages and 'stairways' running through it like a twisted maze of tunnels. Lying all around were translucent crystal formations that glowed with a soft blue light, providing some visibility in the otherwise dark cavern.

Steve glanced up, squinting in the dim light. Somewhere above, he spotted at opening which seemed to lead to the outside area, and presumably the summit. But without the ability to use his wings, Steve would have to make a long journey through the winding tunnels before he could reach it.

"See you at the top loser!"

"What?!"

Black WereGarurumon and sidekick were up on a ledge above, pulling faces at Steve before dashing back into the adjoining passageway.

"We'll see who gets the last laugh!" Steve growled.

There was a single slope leading upwards and Steve's first instinct was to rush towards it. Fortunately, he stopped himself just in time.

"Hey, hold on a second, that's what they want me to do." Steve realized.

Taking a small stone between his toes, Steve tossed it up the slope. It hit the surface with an odd splat and stuck there despite the downward slope of the path.

"Some sort of glue...guess I'd better not go up that way."

However, there didn't seem to be any other paths up and even the lowest ledges were out of jumping range. That situation was made even worse with his arms and wings tied down.

Upon further scanning the area, Steve realized there was a rope hanging down from one of the ledges above. The other end of that rope was fastened to a harpoon impaled in the rocks. Both seemed rather old, apparently having belonged to a previous adventurer.

Steve tugged at the rope with his jaws...and it held firmly.

"OK, here goes nothing!"

Steve was able to grip with his jaws, and by wrapping his clawed feet around the rope, pulled himself up at a slow, but steady pace. The only thing he didn't consider was that his awkward movements shook the rope so much that it dislodged the harpoon.

"Huh? Wargh!!" Steve dropped and landed on his side, knocking the wind out of his lungs. By some chance, he'd ended up on another ledge instead of the ground floor. "Ow...whew...man, that was close..."

"No! It wasn't this way!" Black WereGarurumon's voice echoed from somewhere within the cavern. "We're lost!!"

Steve ducked into the connecting tunnel of his ledge and grinned.

"The race is on."

* * *

"You...you were the one who took him away!"

"Him?" Vija looked confused. "That's just a statue..."

"No, he's a friend! He's been petrified, stuck in whatever that stuff is." Zoe growled. "But you should know that! You're the one who took him from D'Arcmon's mansion!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. We stole this one fair and square!"

"Huh? You..." Zoe shook her head. "Either way, he doesn't deserve to be cooped up like this. Let him go!"

"Kaia, you don't need anyone but me. Why bother?" Vija shrugged.

"Don't make me say it again!" Zoe brought both her waist-mounted blasters up. "I'm...not...Kaia!"

"How...how can it be? How can you possibly love someone more than me?" Vija grunted, still lost in his fantasy world.

"Enough already!!"

"Then the object of your affection must be destroyed so that you'll love me again!!" Vija cried, raising his sword.

"NO!!" Zoe fired, shooting the weapon out of her opponent's hand.

While Vija cried out in pain, Zoe rammed her shoulder into him, throwing him out of the cavern.

"GGRRAARRGHHH!!" Completely lost in a blind rage, Vija stamped his feet, lowered his bull-like horns and charged.

The few shots Zoe got off didn't do much to stop the maddened bull before he ran right into her. One of the horns pierced into her right thigh before she was able to grab on and fight back.

"Urgh!!" Despite the pain, Zoe shoved with all her might, but was still tossed into a pile of crates.

Vija didn't stop there and came charging for her again. Zoe spotted Vija's sword lying by her foot and snatched it up, just as the centaur attacked.

The blade went straight through the stomach area of his centaur body, causing him to howl in pain. Zoe shoved her foe away and fired her blasters until he'd stumbled out of the cave.

Vija was in too much pain and bewilderment to do anything as Zoe walked to him.

"Kaia..." He stared dreamily.

"For the last time..." Zoe raised her fists. "I'M..."

WHAM!! A large bloody mark appeared at the side of his face.

"...NOT..."

WHAM!! A second bleeding wound followed that.

"...KAIA!!"

WHAM!!

Blood splattered across the ground as the final blow sent Vija flying onto the riverbank. He fell onto his side, and at his awkward angle, forced the impaled sword through his upper body. Vija managed one last gurgled scream before he exploded in a cloud of fire and data particles.

"If that'll make him a little less obsessed with his lost love, then maybe they'll be together now." Zoe panted, stumbling into the water to wash herself clean.

"Hey!!" Aero swooped down from the sky, landing beside Zoe with a splash.

"Hi Aero. You missed one heck of a party." She breathed.

"Looks like you took a hit!" Aero gestured towards the spot where Vija's horn had pierced her.

"I'm fine." Zoe insisted. "But, I've finally found him, Sekata. He's inside..."

"That's great, but you'd better take care of yourself too." Aero grabbed a piece of cloth that had been thrown out during the struggle and tore it into a bandage. "Put this around your thigh for now."

"Ugh...thanks."

"Here, I'll help you." Aero offered a claw and helped Zoe to her feet. "You have that stuff they gave us to dissolve Sekata's casing, right?"

"Yeah...here." Zoe drew a small plastic tube from her belt pouch.

The pair made their way into the cavern, to the place where Sekata's frozen form stood.

"Still the same as back on that fateful day." Aero muttered. "Let's get him out."

"Just a second..." Zoe reached out and touched the side of the dragon's face.

(Sekata, it's me, Zoe. Can you respond? Please?)

_Zoe...I..._

The 'voice' was weak, but it was definitely there.

(Yes, it's really me.)

_I...I...don't know...what to...say..._

(You don't have to say anything yet. I'll get you out of there first.)

"You'd better tell him it'll sting a little." Aero took the tube from Zoe and squeezed its contents onto Sekata's head and shoulders.

There was a soft hissing sound at the semi-translucent film that had keep Sekata immobilized for so long slowly started to dissolve. First, the film at the top of his head melted away, then the sections around his face. As they reached there, the white empty eyes of the statue moved, revealing blue-colored pupils.

Tears were welling up in those eyes, and Zoe reverted to her XV-mon form before throwing her arms around Sekata's neck.

"It's great to have you back." She sniffed.

However, a sudden roar from outside snapped everyone back to reality.

"That's Megidramon, isn't it?" Aeromaru asked.

"Janet...oh no." Zoe gasped.

"Sounds like she's still close by." Aero remarked. "Which should mean that she hasn't gone rampaging any unsuspecting towns yet."

"That's a relief, but..."

"Tell you what, it's my turn to distract her." Aero jerked a thumb at himself. "Siavon's got a solution to the problem and he's working on it as we speak. With the storm calming down, he should be able to contact you soon."

"Right, I've got it." Zoe nodded. "Be careful."

Aero gave her a thumbs-up before running out of the cavern.

* * *

Steve felt like he'd been wandering around for ages, hitting junctions and dead-ends multiple times. However, Black WereGarurumon's voice echoing through the tunnels made it clear that they were both lost.

It seemed his rivals were as unfamiliar with the place as he was.

Finally, Steve emerged into the largest chamber he'd encountered since the entrance. What was really exciting about this area was the fact that there was a rock stairway leading up to an opening above.

The stars of the night sky were clearly visible through that hole, which most likely led to the summit.

"At last..." Steve gasped. "After playing all those RPGs that dump you in a dungeon where everything looks the same...hahaha...it's actually paid off!"

He was about to move on when he noticed a pulley system connecting his level to the one below it. The system operated an old wooden lift, which was currently on the lower level. While it wasn't of much use to him, what caught Steve's interest was the wheel and handle next to it.

"The edges of that wheel are pretty jagged." Steve muttered. "Maybe I can use this thing to cut the restraints off my straightjacket."

Taking the handle in his jaws, Steve wound the wheel, which in turn raised the old lift. When it had reached its highest point, he let go and leaned his body as close to the wheel as he could. Both the force of friction and the sharp edges combined to creating a satisfying fabric-ripping sound.

It so happened that Black WereGarurumon and Dogmon choose that moment to walk into the lower room...just in time for the elevator to come crashing down on their heads.

"Huh?! WWAAARRGGHH!!"

BAM! CRASH!!

"Wow!" Steve pulled himself out of the straight jacket and wriggled out of the ropes beneath. He then moved over to the ledge to find the crashing lift had made a huge hole in the floor...with Black WereGarurumon and Dogmon hanging onto the edge for dear life.

"Hey guys!" Steve spread his wings and flew down to the pair.

"Eep...erm...hey..." Black WereGarurumon laughed nervously. "Can't we talk about this? Please?!"

"You are the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race." Steve quipped.

With that, he stomped on their fingers with a loud crunch.

"OOWW!! AARRGGHH!!" The canine duo plummeted, disappearing into the darkness.

"Hahahahaha! Oh yeah! Sweet revenge!!" Steve laughed, doing his 'V' for victory dance. "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah!"

Then, a bloodcurdling roar drew his attention to the opening above.

"What the heck was that?" Steve flew up to the opening and pulled his head through.

What Steve thought he was facing at first was a purple pillar. Upon looking up however, his opinion quickly changed.

It was in fact an armored leg with a three toed foot.

Sections at the joints and beneath the armor were black colored. Looking up, the legs joined to an upright, dragoniod body. A long tail swung about, which had a strange glowing purple orb attached to its tip. The two muscular upper limbs also shared the purple armor, with several yellow patterns on the chest and arms.

On its back was a pair of red and black feathered wings, which seemed to be joined to the main body by wires and exposed cables. A pair of silver blades also emerged from either wing carpus.

Finally, the head was serpent-like in structure and also covered by a purple helmet. The eyes weren't visible, but it had two lightning bolt shaped 'horns' at the back of its head and rows of razor sharp teeth lining its jaws.

This was Death-X Dorugoramon (Dekusu Dorugoramon), a Mega Level undead dragon, formed through contact with the X-Antibody turned bad.

"Oh...boy..." Steve muttered, staring in shock. Not that he knew what the beast was, but it certainly was intimidating enough. It was much large too...Steve estimated he only stood up to its knee level.

The undead creature lowered its head to Steve's level and glared straight at him.

"Erm...I guess you're the guy who guards this X-Antibody thing, right?" Steve asked meekly.

The dragon responded with a roar that covered Steve in its hot saliva. Just as abruptly, it snatched Steve up in its claws and stood straight up, slowly lifting Steve towards its jaws.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!"


	25. Dragon’s Valor

_Dot hack, Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Dragon's Valor**

By nightdragon0

"And well, basically that's why Janet's a raging Megidramon right now." Zoe sighed, having given her friend a very brief update of the current situation.

Sekata's eyes moved with interest as he uttered a faint grunting sound. The casing covering the upper part of his head and sections on his shoulders had melted away, but the process had rapidly slowed.

"Don't worry about the speed if that's what you want to know." Zoe nodded. "Wormmon told me that the dissolvent would probably lose some of its effect because you've been dragged out of that mansion and into who-knows-what kinds of environments, I'll just apply more later. We took care of that crazy taxidermist too, and Wormmon was busy freeing the other petrified Digimon when we left."

Just then, a beeping sound came from Zoe's Digivice. There was a hiss of static before Siavon's voice came on.

"Come in. Do you read me kid?"

"I'm here." Zoe responded. "It's a little faint though."

"We'll have to make do with it. Anyway, I think I've got a solution to the Megidramon problem." Siavon explained. "The analysis I received from Aero's contacts showed that an antibody program could be harmful."

"Then Steve..."

"No, I don't feel his efforts will go to waste. I've put together a device we can use to draw out the corrupted Hazard's data. It would weaken your friend, but that's something the antibody program can rectify."

"That sounds great then. We should get to it right away." Zoe said excitedly.

"However, there is a slight problem. The device doesn't have an internal power source, and we have to bring it outside to use."

"Hmmm..."

"My first thoughts were your Digivices."

"Only that Janet's was destroyed during her transformation to Megidramon." Zoe finished. "But we still have two: Steve's, mine..."

Sekata suddenly started making some muffled growls again, and kept moving his eyes to 'point' towards his wrist.

"Three I mean." Zoe corrected. "And Sekata's too."

"You've got another comrade? Well, that should be enough to work with. Get back here as soon as you can."

"No, Aero's out there distracting Megidramon. It'll be faster if you can home in on my signal and we meet up here instead."

"Agreed then." Siavon replied. "I'll be there soon."

The com-link clicked off and Zoe turned towards the partially frozen Sekata.

"I've got to get your Digivice off your claw."

Sekata 'nodded' as best as he could with his eyes as Zoe rubbed some of the dissolvent over the area of his right hand. As the casing melted away, Zoe dug her claws in and managed to yank the D-Dragon out.

"I'll be back soon." Zoe declared. "I promise."

Sekata seemed to have an approving look in his eyes and Zoe gripped his cold palm with her own. She thought she felt his fingers move slightly, but quickly pulled away.

Taking a quick look back, Zoe sprinted for the cave entrance and spread her wings.

* * *

"Hey you!!" Aero yelled. "I'm over here!"

Megidramon 'acknowledged' with a bloodcurdling roar. The corrupted dragon had apparently been resting after its earlier run in with Zoe, and Aero had found it just in time.

"V-Wing Blade!" Aero fired off a blue burst of energy, not to hit Janet's berserked form, but to make sure he had its attention.

Its reply was launching a pair of fireballs at the Aero V-dramon, which he spun in the air to avoid.

"Wow...this is not going to be easy, but I have to keep this up." Aero realized. "Hey! Come on! Can't hit me?!"

He sent another energy burst in Megidramon's direction, and then took off with an about-face. Megidramon stayed right on his tail as he swerved his way through the valley. There were miles of mountainous regions around and Aero hoped that he wouldn't run out of ground before help arrived.

* * *

Finally, after such a long time, Sekata realized there was some feeling in his body again. He couldn't move any major limbs yet, but slowly, his fingers were beginning to come free.

Still, Zoe running off had him worried. From what he could make out, the situation wasn't good and she'd left without him. Zoe...there was also so much he wanted to say to her.

He was twisting his neck, trying to free his snout, when AncientGreymon spoke to him again.

(So, feels good to wriggle your fingers again, eh?)

_Grrrr...no thanks to you. _Sekata, though still unable to speak, directed his thoughts to the ancient dragon.

(Ungrateful as always, I see. Humph, I could've gotten you out of this thing too, you know.)

_And what? Charge me my soul for the service? No thanks, and that goes to your previous offer too! _

(Well, looks like those 3 months of confinement as a statue hasn't changed you too much. Good...)

_3 months?! Was it really that long?_ Sekata gasped.

(Long time when you're in this kind of state kid. I could've just left you to rot in the enclosed reaches of your own mind. But notice I didn't.)

_Hey, you were the one trying to drive me insane in there! _

(On the contrary, I was keeping your sanity intact.) AncientGreymon huffed.

_By mentally torturing me?! _

(And giving you some one to direct all the anger towards. You had something to do at least, and not completely break down in the void of nothingness.)

_You..._ Sekata was stunned. The thought mentally caused him to shudder, but in some twisted sense, AncientGreymon had a point.

(And don't get me wrong kid. I didn't do it because I like you, just that it would be a shame if you ended up as a mentally crippled vegetable. You're still the most interesting host I've had thus far, perhaps just the right one I've been looking for.)

_For what?! _

(Sorry, but I can't tell you that now. You'll know soon enough though...sooner that you think.) AncientGreymon's presence began to depart.

_Hold on! That story about your past earlier...what happened in the end? _Sekata asked.

AncientGreymon didn't answer for a long time, as if giving it very careful consideration.

(Oh well, I suppose nobody likes cliffhanger endings...) The armored dragon suddenly smirked.

Once again, Sekata's vision was engulfed by a bright light and he was suddenly viewing the events through Rodi the XV-mon's, eyes.

* * *

**Flashback...**

"That's strange, do you guys smell something burning?" Luna asked.

Rodi turned to his companions, a Flybeemon and a Renamon, and then nodded. These were the same three Digimon Sekata had seen in the last vision, only now each one had strapped on a black vest with a sword attached to its back.

"Yea...I wonder what's up?" He muttered.

"It doesn't feel right somehow." Wein added in. "I think we should hurry back. The academy's close by!"

The three broke into a sprint, shoving their way through the forest trail. However, when they emerged into the opening, the trio stopped short, staring in disbelief.

They were definitely in the large clearing at the base of the mountain, where their school should've been. However, there was nothing there but a large blackened spot instead.

"What the hell?! Is this the right place?" Rodi blurted out.

"I'm sure of it...but..." Wein run forward and knelt down. "The ground's still warm."

"Just what could do this?" Luna wondered. "And where's everybody?"

She quickly found the burnt remains of the wooden stage and the boards usually used in the various award ceremonies. Rodi was walking over a pile of rocks when his foot was caught on something.

"Ow! Damn! Huh?! This is..." Rodi bent over and pulled the shinning object out. Though slightly charred and cracked, it was a familiar golden claw weapon. A Wargreymon's right claw, though this one had a red insignia in the shape of a dragon's head over a white 'X'. "No..."

"What is it?" Luna asked, as she and Wein jogged over.

"Is that...Sensei's?" Wein voiced his worst fears.

"But he wouldn't just leave it in this condition...unless..." Rodi closed his eyes. "He was...dead..."

"So, it seems we have some survivors here." A cold voice rang out.

The trio whirled round to find a Skull Satamon, a skeletal creature welding a wicked-looking staff, perched on a ledge above them.

"Who are you?!" Wein demanded. "Did you do this?!"

"Hahaha, my troops did all the work. But apparently not well enough." The dark warrior laughed. "Though I have to admit the old dragon leader gave us a lot more casualties than we expected."

"Dad...you..." Rodi clenched his fists, trembling. "I'll never forgive you for this!!"

In one motion, the blue dragon strapped his father's claw onto his right fist and leapt up to attack. Skull Satamon stood still until the last moment, then seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"Huh?!"

The undead warrior materialized behind Rodi and kicked him from behind, rolling him head over heels into a nearby tree. Wein and Luna followed by drawing their own swords and attacking, only to meet with the same results as Rodi. Skull Satamon simply teleported around their slashes and took them down hard.

"Grrr...we can take him guys." Rodi growled. "Let's attack together!"

"Right!" His companions responded.

The three fanned out and formed a triangle around their solitary opponent. At the same time, all three attacked...only to have Skull Satamon evade all their attacks and leave the trio to slam headlong into one another.

"Humph, pathetic." Skull Satamon snarled.

"Ow...he's...too...strong." Wein cringed.

"W...what do we do?!" Luna wondered.

"Run for it!!" Rodi screamed.

"You can run, but you can't hide!!" Skull Satamon called from behind the fleeing group.

In their state of panic, Rodi led his companions into a cavern by the foot of the mountain. Following the narrow tunnel, he turned left, right, then left again...and hit a dead end.

"Oh shit!!" Rodi cursed.

"Great going!" Wein muttered.

"Hey, I'd like to see you do better!"

"Uh-oh...he's coming!" Luna pointed.

"Well I won't let him get me without a fight!" Rodi pointed his father's claws as the skeletal creature calmly strode round the corner. "Yargh!!"

"Nail Bone!" Skull Satamon lowered his staff and fired off a yellow beam which sent all three flying onto their backs.

"Grrr...argh!! I...can't move!" Rodi grunted.

"And you were saying?!" Wein snapped.

"Boys, is this really the best time to be arguing?" Luna cut in. "Gargh!!"

"Heh, now which one of you should I kill first?" Skull Satamon grinned, stepping on top of the trio's limp bodies.

* * *

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh CRAP!! AARRGGHH!!" Steve's futile struggles did little but amuse the gigantic dragon.

Unbeknown to Steve, this particular dragon was much larger than most other members of its species would've been. Probably owing to its constant exposure to the strange energy source of the X-antibody, plus the occasional victim it consumed. This creature was seemingly bound beyond death by some mysterious force, its one purpose being to defend its prized treasure.

Still, none of that information would've been of any use to Steve as he was tossed into the dragon's mouth. The stench was utterly unbearable, forcing Steve to hold his breath and try not to scream.

Death-X Dorugoramon didn't even bother chewing, deciding to just snap his jaws shut and swallow Steve whole. The Gargoylemon was almost a perfect fit for Death-X Dorugoramon's mouth.

However, the dumb luck of Steve's tail being clamped between the teeth saved him from being swallowed on the first try. Desperately, Steve shifted his position, got his claws into a gap between a pair of incisors, and managed to avoid a second swallow attempt.

Death-X Dorugoramon was obviously getting frustrated and tried to wrap its tongue around Steve, or at least shove him down its throat with it. Not only that, Steve was covered in foul smelling saliva and the teeth were cutting into his claws.

Finally, Steve had to take a breath and nearly threw up.

_Jeez...has this guy ever washed his mouth?! _Steve thought.

His 'captor' began violently shaking its head from side to side in an attempt to force Steve down. There was barely any breathable air and even less light. To Steve, the struggle seemed to last for an eternity, until a faint glitter caught his eye.

It was a sword with a faintly glowing blue jewel at its hilt. The weapon and the severed, white armored hand that was gripping the hilt were wedged between another pair of teeth, just a little further back from his position.

With a renewed sense of hope, Steve realized that he might have a chance. His claws weren't having any effect on the inner parts of the mouth and Steve didn't dare bite down with his jaws, but the weapon might just do that...if he could reach it.

However, that would also mean having to leave his relatively 'secure' position.

_Well, I can either go for the sword and get swallowed, or I can sit here and wait to be eaten alive. _Steve told himself. _Screw it! I'm going with the former!_

Steve waited until Death-X Dorugoramon had made another swallow attempt, then made his move. In one motion, he released his current grip and grabbed onto the hilt of the sword. He drove his clawed talons into the gap the sword was stuck in and used Death-X Dorugoramon's shaking movements to help him jar the sword loose.

The sword finally came free and Steve stabbed it into closest thing...the creature's tongue. Death-X Dorugoramon uttered a furious roar of pain as it spit Steve out, landing him in a puddle of blood and sputum.

"Gargh...whew..." Steve panted, coughing. The battle to prevent himself from being eaten alive had left him tense and shaking, but his opponent certainly didn't care the least.

"RRROOOAAARRR!!"

"Uh oh!" Steve forced himself to his feet and ran...with a very large and angry dragon behind him.

* * *

**Flashback...**

"Ladies first!" Wein and Rodi yelled together.

"What?! Some gentlemen you are!" Luna protested.

"Grrr..." Skull Satamon raised his staff.

"ARGH!! No!! Do Wein!" Luna yelled. "He's too stupid to notice!"

"Hey! Take Rodi! He's the leader!" Wein replied.

"Urgh...your childish voices are giving me a headache!!" Skull Satamon snarled, raising his weapon. "I'll just kill all of you at once."

"RRRGGAARRGGHH!!" The trio was screaming in terror when light suddenly swirled around them.

The next instant, they were tossed into a very different cavern, landing on top of a tatami flooring. Rodi's eyes snapped open as he stared around the room. There were all sorts of devices and machinery around.

"Are we dead?" Luna asked, risking a peek. "Huh?!"

"I think we're saved." Rodi muttered. "But I still can't move!"

"Oh, thank the gods I got the teleporter working in time." An old, feminine voice gasped. "Are you all right?"

"Grandma! Jeez, you really cut it close!" Rodi cried happily, seeing the pink colored, eastern-style dragon hovering above them.

She was a Holydramon (Magnadramon), a scared dragon of the light element. Rodi knew his grandmother constantly worked alone in her secret cavern near the academy, coming up with all sorts of new devices and technologies that would be put to use in their training.

"Here, this should free you from the paralysis effect." Holydramon brought up a syringe with a large needle at the end.

"Man! You know that I hate big needles...yeowch!!" Rodi started as Holydramon flipped him over, jabbed the large needle into his butt and injected the syringe's contents into his system. "Grandma! Don't do that! It's embarrassing!"

Luna burst out laughing until she got her jab too. The remedy seemed to take immediate effect as the two youngsters were instantly up and running.

"Hey Wein, we're safe now!" Rodi turned towards his friend.

Wein still had his eyes closed and was wiggling in the corner.

"Yeah I know, but could you please kill Rodi first?!"

WHAM!! Furiously, Rodi punched him in the face.

"Great, now he won't be conscious to feel the jab." Luna moaned.

* * *

"Siavon! It's great that you're here!" Zoe waved as the armored black dragon landed by her side.

"Your Digivices ready?" Siavon queried.

Zoe nodded, bring up both hers and Sekata's D-Dragons to add to Steve's.

"Good, now take a good look at this." Siavon set a small, rectangular shaped box on the floor and opened its lid. "It was fortunate that I could find what I needed to make this in the secret base."

"Wow...what is it?" Zoe asked, staring in awe.

The object somewhat resembled a bracelet. It consisted of a thick central silver ring with several strange blue crystals hovering around it, almost like a 'crystal web'.

"I'm not too familiar with it, but from its technical readout, it's the best chance we've got." Siavon told her. "Put it on."

"Erm...why me?" Zoe asked worriedly.

"This thing is going to be powered by your Digivices. I believe you should thus be the one to handle it."

"But...I don't know how...and if I..."

"Have a little self-confidence kid." Siavon growled, snapping the bracelet onto Zoe's right arm.

The bracelet was felt surprisingly cold and heavy. With a metallic click, a pincer-shaped 'gun' formed at the front, together with a targeting scope. Siavon immediately went to work, connecting three wires from the bracelet to each Digivice, before placing the three devices in the box.

"Look, you just aim through the scope and trigger it with the vocal command '**Data Arc'**." Siavon explained. "I have to give your fellow blue dragon a hand before he gets himself killed."

Zoe nodded, taking a quick glance towards the sky, where Aero continued to lead Megidramon in circles, evading its deadly fireballs. Her current position on a ledge overlooking the valley below was concealed by a large pile of boulders, keeping them safely out of Megidramon's sight range.

"There's a percentage count on each Digivice's screen." Siavon pointed. "Once, and only once each one's charge reaches 100 will it be safe to fire. Aero and I will lead Megidramon within range, and I'll signal you. A blue energy ring will form around Megidramon's body, then you'll have to keep the bracelet pointed at Megidramon in order for the draining process to work properly."

"Right, I guess I've got it." Zoe muttered.

There was no time for any further doubts as Aero's scream suddenly filled the air. One of Megidramon's fireballs had stuck him right in the left wing, dropping him in a spiral fall out of the sky.

"Remember, no less than 100!" Siavon reminded as he flew off the edge.

The black dragon was able to snatch Aero out of the air, just in time to avoid having them both barbecued.

"Hey, thanks...ow..." Aero moaned, putting his arm around Siavon's shoulder for support. "I think I strained my wing."

"Humph." Siavon growled, wrapping his left arm around Aero's waist. "The girl lasted longer than you."

"That's a low blow!" Aero protested. "Uh oh, here it comes!"

With his free hand, Siavon pulled the shield plates from his back and linked them together, creating a black shield which deflected the incoming fireball back into Megidramon's face. That pissed the corrupted dragon off, causing it to come charging towards them.

"Hold this!" Siavon quickly shoved his shield into his companion's arms and made a quick claw slash at Megidramon as they spun out of the way.

The attack left a long, bleeding scar along Megidramon's right shoulder, making it howl in pain.

"Hey, watch that thing!" Aero gasped. "It's a dragon slaying claw!"

"No weapon is foolproof unless a mortal blow is struck." The Blackwargreymon growled. "Besides, have you got any better ideas?"

"Erm...nope..."

"Good, then shut up. Cause I hate backseat drivers."

Siavon flew beneath another swiping attack from Megidramon and weaved around its back. Unfortunately, Megidramon swung its tail and caught Siavon in the stomach, sending both him and Aero spinning into the ground.

"Oh no!" Zoe cried, watching from the opposite side as the two crash landed in a large pile of dirt.

The bracelet's charge was at 95, but Megidramon was still going strong and the others weren't going to last much longer. There was only one thing to do then...take a big gamble.

"Hey! Over here! Hey!!" Zoe climbed on top of her rock. "X-laser!"

_96..._

Her lasers caught Megidramon's attention. The corrupted dragon turned towards her instead, letting loose with an angry roar as it charged. It was out for blood.

_97..._

Zoe stood her ground as Megidramon approached, breathing flames in her direction. She knelt down and shielded her face with her free hand.

"Come on Jan...I know you're in there somewhere! You won't...do this to me..."

_98..._

"Zoe...ugh...get down!" Aero called helplessly from his position. "Zoe!!"

_99..._

Megidramon was dangerously close now, and the flames were becoming unbearably hot, but she was almost there. Just a little more...

_100!_

Zoe made a short jump to the side, revealing the device she'd been shielding with her own body.

"Data Arc!!"

There had been no time to aim, but Megidramon was hit nevertheless as it flew past. The blue energy beam shimmered with codes and data as it fired from the bracelet's 'gun point', wrapping itself around a howling Megidramon.

The bracelet was also rapidly vibrating and Zoe had to use both hands to steady the weapon. She was watching as the bracelet slowly became brighter and brighter.

Then finally, everything went up in a bright white light.

* * *

**Flashback...**

Eventually, the three had recovered and were sitting at a desk, listening to Holydramon's story.

"I was here doing my research as usual when I suddenly received a distress call from the school." The great dragon explained. "Next thing I knew, the base was shaken by a blast from outside and I was knocked out. All the systems were either offline or scrambled when I awoke and I couldn't do a thing but listen to the screams and fighting as I struggled to bring something online."

"We're glad you did Mistress." Luna bowed. "Thank you."

"But then, the others..." Wein muttered.

"And dad." Rodi held up his father's weapon and looked at it longingly before putting it down on the table. "Who was that guy? And how did his army manage to take on everyone...and win?"

"From what I suspect, he must be an agent of the CHAOS." Holydramon decided.

Everyone gasped as they turned towards her.

"And they needn't even have fought face to face." She continued. "With so many students gathered for the ceremony...that would certainly be a target for explosives or gas attacks."

"Those b#&tards!" Rodi snarled.

"But what can we do?" Luna asked. "If we couldn't even take down one of these agents, and there are more out there..."

"This was what your father was training everyone for." Holydramon told them. "To fight the CHAOS, and some even to become Spirit Warriors."

"Spirit Warriors..." Wein said softly. "They would've been our top fighters."

"But we just lost everyone." Luna sighed.

"No, we still have you three." Holydramon spoke.

"Us?" Rodi asked. "But we're just a bunch of screw-ups. What can we possibly do?"

"That's not true Rodi. Your father has odd ways, but I know he pushed you harder because he believed in you, all of you. He'd never admit it, but he wanted you to be those warriors."

"Really?" Wein stared.

"Wow...I...would never have thought that..." Luna staggered.

"Dad..."Rodi muttered. "All right, I'm in. How bout you guys?"

"Of course!" His companions nodded.

"Then, these are for you." Holydramon pulled out a large box and opened it. "With these, you will be able to evolve into different forms, with abilities that will grow as you master them."

Inside were three glowing orbs: a red one engraved with the symbol (from Digimon Frontier) for fire, a purple one engraved with the symbol of wind and a yellow one engraved with the symbol of thunder.

"Unbelievable, I never thought I'd get to see these." Wein whistled.

"We'll kick some serious ass with these babies." Rodi grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"Yeah!"

The trio was dashing for the door when Holydramon flew up behind them.

"Wait! You have to take the orbs before they grant you their powers!" The older Digimon called.

"Oh yeah, that's right." The group skidded to a halt, scratching their heads sheepishly.

"Thanks for the help grandma." Rodi said, grabbing the fire orb.

"You can count on us." Luna continued, picking up the wind orb.

"Yeah, we'll make you proud." Wein finished, snatching the thunder orb.

They then resumed their dash, leaving a sighing Holydramon behind.

* * *

"Oh damn! So screwed! I am SOOO SCREWED!!" Steve cursed, looking over his shoulder. "White Statue!"

He threw off a ball of white light that simply bounced off his pursuer's chestplate. His other attack ability, Black Statue, was a summoning ability that required him some time to channel. Not caring how he even knew that, Steve kept running.

Up ahead, he spotted a small cavern and dove headfirst into it. Fortunately, it was too small for Death-X Dorugoramon to fit through, who took to pounding furiously on the walls outside.

Steve knew he was safe for a while, but he certainly couldn't stay there too long.

_Great, why the heck didn't I listen to Siavon and go rushing into this? Man, I bet even he didn't know getting this antibody would be this tough._

As Steve moved his foot, he stepped onto a metallic object half buried in the sandy floor.

"A sphere?" He wondered, digging it out of the ground. "What's this doing here?"

The old sphere emitted a white glow which became brighter and brighter as he dug it out. All of a sudden, a series of images snapped into his head.

They showed images of a Sorcerymon (a white colored version of Wizardmon), facing off against the Death-X Dorugoramon close to the cavern he was currently hiding in. The sorcerer raised the white sphere, whose white light seemed to hurt Death-X Dorugoramon, causing it to roar it pain.

It lashed out at Sorcerymon, knocking the orb out of his hands. Then, the images faded.

"This thing...it's a weapon...?" Steve muttered. "Hey, wait!"

He realized he'd also gotten the insight on something else, the surroundings. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall what he'd seen.

The X-antibody took the form of a shimmering blue orb with several light blue and red rings within it. It lay on a platform in the center of the area, something he'd failed to notice during his intense struggle. That wouldn't help him much, but there was something else too.

A ledge just across from his cave had a sharp outcropping, a sharp point sticking out of it...almost like a spear.

Steve shot a quick glance outside. Death-X Dorugoramon had stopped banging on the walls, but Steve was sure it was still there. However, the same cliffs he'd seen through the sphere were exactly as they appeared during the vision.

That gave him a really crazy idea, but sometimes, crazy just works.

With the white sphere held tightly under his arm, Steve grabbed a pebble and tossed it out of the cave. Death-X Dorugoramon immediately reacted to the sound, stomping onto the scene.

_NOW!!_

Steve sprinted, dashing between the huge creature's legs and towards the sharp point of the cliffs. The Gargoylemon made sure he was a safe distance away from his pursuer, then stopped briefly. Death-X Dorugoramon made a sudden lunge for him, which Steve sidestepped. Using a combination of his agility and his wings, Steve repeated the stunt two more times as he approached the cliffs.

Steve was out of breath long before reaching the walls, but survival instinct forced him to keep going. He jumped up, balancing on the sharp point, and quickly spun round, raising the white sphere.

Death-X Dorugoramon was making its lunging tackle just as the sphere emitted its brilliant light, blinding the beast, before the old sphere shattered. Death-X Dorugoramon flew forward and impaled itself on the sharp point of the cliff.

Steve did his best to move away, but was still thrown roughly against the wall as Death-X Dorugoramon struggled, roaring violently. The 'spear' had pierced it straight through the left side of its chest.

Slowly, its movements grew sluggish and it finally stayed still.

Steve lay on the ground, panting and staring at his opponent. After several minutes, Steve climbed onto the top of its head and poked the sides of its face. There wasn't a single bit of movement in Death-X Dorugoramon's body.

"Bite me!"

Then, Steve began to laugh, strolling over to the platform. Triumphantly he picked up the X-antibody and raised it up to get a better look at it in the rays of the rising sun.

"Gargh! It's mine!" Black WereGarurumon suddenly came up behind him, making a grab for the X-antibody.

"Oh no you don't!" Steve yelled, pulling away. "A friend of mine really needs this for...ugh!!"

Black WereGarurumon tackled him, the two pushing and shoving as they struggled for the prize.

"Dogmon! Throw the bomb now!" Black WereGarurumon ordered.

Dogmon popped his head out of the same opening Steve had entered through, holding a silver rectangular object in his hand.

"Oh yeah?!" Steve dropped himself backwards, throwing Black WereGarurumon over his head.

The startled wolf let go of the prize as he went flying...right into Dogmon's path. The two collided, screaming, and fell back down the hole. Seconds later, an ear-splitting explosion from beneath further enlarged the hole.

"Man, what a bunch of losers." Steve laughed. "Well, better get going before something else happens."

The winds were much calmer now, so Steve found a high spot and leapt off. Catching the wind beneath his wings, he soared, disappearing into the sky.

However, even as he departed, Steve failed to notice the remains of Death-X Dorugoramon were slowly beginning to melt into a strange, greenish colored liquid.

The fluid failed to seep into the soil, but instead flowed down the large hole caused by the canine duo's bomb.

And from far beneath, a pair of familiar screams were soon heard.

* * *

**Flashback...**

"Hey you!" Rodi shouted.

The trio had emerged from the secret cavern and onto a ledge overlooking the site where Skull Satamon was having a squad of Flymon search for the missing students.

"Ah, so nice of you to come back." Skull Satamon laughed. "That'll save me the trouble of hunting you down."

"Well, you're in for a big surprise, cause we're the ones doing the hunting this time!" Luna declared.

"Prepare to meet the all new, Spirit Warriors!" Wein grinned.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Skull Satamon demanded.

"Let's give him a demonstration then!" Rodi roared, forming a Digicode ring around his right hand. "Ready guys?"

"Yeah!"

"Spirit Evolution!"

At the same time, all three brought up their Digicode rings and slashed them across their respective orbs.

"Huh?! Gargh!!" A blinding flash forced Skull Satamon to cover his face, and when he looked back, the trio were gone. "Where the?!"

"The raging flames burn, all mighty and consuming...Warrior of Fire, Agnimon!" In a brand new form, Rodi landed on the opposite side and struck battle stance.

"This wind howls, unseen and deadly...Warrior of Wind, Fairymon!" (Kazemon)

"Thunder rumbles, lightning blazes and all trembles...Warrior of Thunder, Blitzmon!" (Beetlemon)

The latter two were Luna and Wein respectively, landing beside Rodi and taking their own stances.

"Damn, bunch of showoffs." Skull Satamon sighed. "Flymon, kill them!"

"Hey, these aren't just for show you know?" Rodi smirked, sending winks to Luna and Wein. "Let's go!"

The three split up, each one taking on about six Flymon.

"Burning Salamander!" Rodi formed a column of fire around each arm and shot the flames forward, incinerating the Flymon.

"Brezza Petalo!" Luna created a series of pink 'strings' of wind, which she tossed and wrapped around the Flymon. And with a final kicking maneuver, she blew them to pieces. "Doppio Perforare!"

"Thor Hammer!" Wein slammed his fist into the ground, creating a stream of lightning bolts that shocked all his opponents into submission.

"Ugh..." Skull Satamon moaned, seeing his troops disintegrated. "Impressive powers indeed..."

"We've still got more to show!" Rodi growled, rushing in for the attack.

Skull Satamon leapt back, fighting off all three warriors with a series of swift staff swings. However, in the midst of all the leaping, kicking, punching and shouting, he wasn't able to hold all three off at once and took numerous blows that forced him back against the mountainside.

"Had enough?" Wein folded his arms as his friends surrounded their fallen foe.

"Never! Nail Bone!"

All three were forced to leap away from the attack.

"Hargh! Have it your way then!" Rodi shouted, somersaulting into the sky. "Agnimon slide evolution... Vritramon!"

His body flashed and changed into the form of a more familiar red dragon.

"Corona Blaster!!" Rodi fired off a burst of lasers from his arm-mounted cannons knocking the evil Digimon over.

Luna quickly entangled Skull Satamon with her Brezza Petalo attack, and Wein followed up the Thor Hammer to shock their opponent into submission.

"All yours Rodi!" Wein called.

"One finisher coming right up!" Rodi spun his body into a position with his head facing downwards. "Salamander Glide!"

Like a rocket, Rodi shot forward. He kept his arms crossed across his chest until he was within striking range, then lashed out with both claws in an X-shaped cut. Rodi landed firmly on both feet and spun round, facing his friends, as Skull Satamon collapsed with a scream and exploded in a shower of black dust.

"That was great man!" Wein cheered.

"Totally awesome!" Luna agreed.

"Yeah, we look pretty good, don't we?" Rodi smirked, though it was more like baring his fangs.

"Hey, wait a second, look up there!" Wein pointed.

Rodi turned to his left and spotted two humanoid figures standing on a high ledge above them. Those two figures, which Sekata recognized, were Wolfmon (Lobomon) and Löwemon.

(That was the day our legend was born.) AncientGreymon commented as the vision slowly faded, returning Sekata to reality. (And that comes from me, the real thing, and not from some twisted tale of a writer.)

_I see... _Was all Sekata could respond with.

(Well, it seems like you're needed again.) AncientGreymon muttered. (Until next time then...)

"Sekata!" Zoe's voice came from the entrance.


	26. Rebirth and Renew

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Rebirth and Renew**

By nightdragon0

It shocked Sekata that her body was covered in cuts, scrapes, several burns, and a lot of ash.

"I'm OK...don't worry..." She panted. "I just got a little singed. But it's Janet that's the problem. We managed to drain off Megidramon's virally infected data...but she's in bad shape. One of the nearby towns sent out a search party after they detected the abnormal energy waves our methods used, and they're taking care of the others."

Sekata realized that a lot more of his casing had come off during the time AncientGreymon was 'telling' him his story, and he struggled to wiggle his neck free.

"Be careful there! We don't need another injured." Zoe said, bringing out more of the dissolvent. "Here, I'll apply some more."

* * *

"How is she?" Aero asked, looking up from Janet's 'bed'.

More specifically, it was a transparent glass cylinder large enough to accommodate her Guilmon form. It looked like it could've belong to some high tech medical facility if it were from Earth, but here these were standard devices for treating injured Digimon.

The nurse standing nearby was an armored Digimon, Swanmon, naturally resembling a white and silver swan that stood upright.

"Her condition still seems to be unstable, and it's lucky she's even alive." Swanmon replied. "Especially after that terrifying beast out there."

"Yeah, true." Aero bit his lip.

As far as the search party that had come was concerned, Megidramon was dead and Janet had been injured in the fight. It was probably better that they continued to believe that anyway.

Zoe had gone back for Sekata and Siavon to look for Steve. That left him here to watch over their wounded comrade.

Aero grimaced a little in pain, trying to flex his injured left wing, which was wrapped in bandages.

"You need to heal up too, so try to rest. We'll do our best for your friend." The nurse assured. "I have to go check on the other patients now, but I'll be back soon."

"Yes, thank you." Aero nodded as she departed.

Janet moaned softly as she turned within her healing cylinder. Parts of her red scales occasionally flashed and flickered with Digicode. Her condition was probably much worse than the doctors were letting him know, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The blue dragon leaned his exhausted head against the cylinder, and suddenly heard a thud by the doorway.

"Who's there?"

"Just me Aero. I could use a hand here."

It was Zoe, stumbling through the doorway...dragging a freed Vritramon along with her.

"Sekata! Man, I'm so glad you're all right!" Aero immediately dashed over and pulled Sekata's arm over his shoulder.

Sekata looked up and opened his jaws if he were going to say something, but only a gargled moan came out.

"He can barely move or even talk." Zoe told him. "It's been months since he's been able to."

"I hate to think of it, but it could've been me as well. Help him lie down here." Aero gestured towards an unoccupied bed.

Sekata motioned a 'thanks' as he dropped down.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you." Aero placed a claw on his shoulder. "I got you into that mess in the first place."

Once again, Sekata struggled to get his words out. However, he had to settle for shaking his head.

"I don't think he blames you." Zoe nodded. "Well, he's all right, but Jan..."

"Yeah..."

Both blue dragons turned towards their wounded comrade.

Zoe's explanation had been brief to say the least, but judging from their faces, the situation wasn't good. Sekata then closed his eyes for a moment...and found himself somewhere...different.

* * *

_The graveyard..._ Sekata blinked glancing around.

This place was getting all too familiar. Added to the fact that he was standing upright and had no problems moving at all, it certainly showed that he'd entered his 'Dream Realm' again.

And that could only mean one thing...

"Up and running again? Finally, I was running out of games to play with your mind." Right on cue, AncientGreymon stepped out of the mist shrouded path, walking up the steps of the temple to where Sekata stood.

"What do you want this time?" Sekata growled, folding his arms.

"Ah, it's not what I want this time. It's what you want."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you seen the condition your friend lying in the next cylinder is in? It's a wonder she's still holding on."

"What? Now you want to mock my inability to do anything about it?!" Sekata accused. "Even for you, that's low!"

"Do you always have to act as if I'm the bad guy all the time? I'm going to be a little...helpful this time."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'll get down to business. From what I've heard from in here, they've managed to draw out the corrupted data from the Guilmon and are bringing an antibody down to help with her recovery. And a rather potent antibody I might add, one not so easily obtained."

"And your point being?"

"Think about the flaws of that plan. The main one being your runner either not being able to obtain the X-Antibody or not being able to return in time. What if the Antibody alone is not enough to help? And think about it hard, also considering the wounded one's data is rapidly falling apart."

"My..."

"Don't give me any speeches about how you believe your friends will be able to accomplish it. You don't know for certain, don't you? Besides, you have a little way to help, a small tip I'm offering you. Like to hear it out?"

Sekata grimaced, thinking about what the ancient dragon had just said. Finally, he nodded and gestured for AncientGreymon to carry on.

"Remember one thing, the Spirit of Vritramon and your own Cyberdramon body are separate in terms of data. Put it this way, you have two sets of Digital DNA, your friend's only one is dying out. What do you do then?"

"I could...give Janet one?" Sekata looked down at the Digivice strapped to his right claw. As he held it up, a life sized hologram of Cyberdramon appeared, standing beside him in a battle stance.

"Indeed. You can survive with just one." AncientGreymon nodded. "Ideally, I could just let you give her the Spirit and be rid of me..."

"NO!" Sekata snapped. "I will not let you get to any of the others! Not if I have any say in the matter."

"Then, you have one option left." AncientGreymon grinned.

"My Cyberdramon Digital DNA..." Sekata closed his eyes. "How can I manage to do that?"

"That Digivice of yours can do many things, but I suppose I could give you a little boost to help move you that couple of feet across the room."

"Grrr..." Sekata clenched his fists, taking one last look at the Cyberdramon image of himself. "Let's do it then."

"Well, the gate's in that direction." AncientGreymon pointed with a claw. "Get moving and go through it if you want to get back to the real world."

As Sekata strode past, AncientGreymon leaned close to his ear and spoke in a much softer tone.

"Without a second form, you know what happens to you if you lose the Spirit, don't you?"

Sekata froze for a second, but he turned his head away and continued walking.

"Humph, just like any self righteous hero would. Sacrificing your own self to save another." AncientGreymon chuckled. "You always were easy to read my boy."

* * *

"Sekata? Hey you shouldn't be getting up." Zoe said.

He'd apparently been asleep in the real world and Sekata noticed that some time had passed. The room was definitely brighter with the glowing rays of the morning sun streaming in through the windows.

Aero was slumped back in a nearby couch while Zoe was still standing between him and Janet.

Janet began moaning again, as Sekata managed to pull himself up with some effort. His body felt like a dead weight and his muscles were stiff and cramped, but Sekata forced himself against all the protests screaming through his draconic body.

"To...help...her..." Sekata indicated. "My Digivice..."

Zoe looked puzzled, but she helped Sekata up. She'd apparently strapped his Digivice back on sometime while he was asleep, explaining why it had appeared in Sekata's 'Dream World'.

With Zoe supporting him, Sekata moved over to Janet's healing cylinder and reached out with his right claw. A miniature image of Cyberdramon flickered into existence, hovering above his Digivice, as he reached out and touched Janet's shoulder.

Zoe watched in awe as purple and red lights of energy flowed between the two. Aero started as both began growling in pain, falling clumsily off his seat before running over.

"W...what's going on?"

"I don't know." Zoe shook her head.

The energy beams had been slowly accumulating and suddenly, exploded in a bright flash, causing everyone to shield their eyes and jump back.

"Ggarrghh...ugh...what's...going on?" A soft voice moaned.

"Jan?!" Zoe sat up and stared. "You look...different."

Her new form was a familiar one to them. It was in fact, Strikedramon, the Champion form of Cyberdramon. Though smaller that Cyberdramon, both dragons had the similar, humanoid body structure.

Strikedramon was covered in purple scales with a white chest and a helmet similar to Cyberdramon's. She had reddish hair went down past her shoulder level and claws similar to Flamedramon's three-clawed structure.

Armor consisted simply of various metals armor plates that adorned the shoulders, ankles, tip of the tail and claws. Janet now had a pair of green pants on, together with leather straps tied at random places, including the waist and upper leg.

Janet pulled at the choker around her neck and ran her other claw over the tattoos on her body.

"This is weird, but sort of neat." Janet muttered. "Isn't this Sekata's form?"

"Looks like he somehow passed it on to you, right Sekata?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah..." Sekata manage a weak nod, leaning against the wall for support. "My...Digital DNA. You were...injured, it was...the...only...way..."

"Me? When did I get hurt? And where is there? What am I doing here?" Janet clutched her head. "My memory seems so foggy and...ggaarrgghhh!!"

Janet suddenly dropped out of her bed and onto the floor, rolling over in pain.

"She must be meeting with some rejection of the Digital DNA." Aero gasped, running to her side. "I've heard it can happen."

"What exactly?" Zoe asked.

"Transfer of Digital DNA is risky and techniques are still in development." Aero explained. "It's hardly ever done because it involves passing on your coding source, the data that makes up your blood, flesh, everything that you are. In other words, you're dead without it."

"But Sekata..."

"The Spirit..." Sekata spoke. "Is my second source."

"That's probably the explanation, added to whatever those Digivices of yours can do."

"It's like an organ transplant." Zoe muttered. "The host body can reject the transplanted part of it isn't compatible."

"Guys!"

At that moment, Steve as Gargoylemon burst into the room, stared at the scene and stopped short, unsure of what to do.

"Give her the...antibody." Sekata burst out. "Now!"

"Jan, here!" Steve dashed over and held out the shimmering blue sphere.

Janet reached a claw out and managed to grab onto his hand. It seemed to hurt her even more as the blue sphere began to dissipate into rays of energy that flowed through her body.

"RRRAARRGGGHHH!!"

* * *

"Jan!" Steve cried.

"She has to bear with the pain." Siavon spoke, having entered the room as well.

"Can't...take...it..." Janet's body was trembling violently and drenched in sweat.

"Come on! I won't ever forgive you if you quit now!" Steve knelt down and took one of her claws in his own. "After what I went through to get that thing for you, don't you dare die on me! Not now!"

Just holding her hand sent shocks through his body, but Steve moved closer and threw his arms around her shoulders.

"Hold on to me..." Steve whispered. "Don't think."

Janet's grip seemed to be slowly weakening, but with a sudden spur of energy, she latched on tight, grabbing with such strength that her claws cut into Steve's scales. Steve bit his lip and cringed. He was supposed to be comforting her, but he was on the verge of screaming out as well.

Then, it all ended. Janet's shaking stopped and the pain subsided. The entire thing couldn't have been more than 2 minutes, but every second of it had seemed like hours.

Exhausted, Steve dropped back against the floor as the others gathered round.

"You...all...right Jan?" Steve panted with his eyes closed.

Janet suddenly snapped up, grabbed his shoulder with one hand and slapped his snout with the other.

"What the hell did you think you were doing you crazy fool?! You couldn't gotten yourself killed or something!" She roared. "And if you ever dare to do that, I'm the one who won't ever forgive you!"

"You're welcome..." Steve managed sneaky grin.

"Well, at least that's over..." Janet sighed, dropping herself back against the bed. "Huh? This is..."

Despite her original Digivice having being destroyed in the Megidramon incident, Janet now found a new D-Dragon strapped to her left wrist. This one had the same structure of the old one, resembling the head of a dragon with a pair of horns at the top, glowing eyes and a small screen where the open mouth of the dragon would be, all lined with the fangs to match .Only now, it was purple in color with silver eyes and teeth.

"Looks like whatever forces brought us here just gave you a new one." Zoe smiled, holding out her own D-Dragon, sapphire blue in color with green eyes and teeth.

Sekata nodded, walking over and holding out his black colored D-Dragon with red teeth and eyes.

"You'll probably want this back." Aero called, tossing a Digivice to Steve.

The young dragon was pleasantly surprised to find his Digivice now as a D-Dragon like the others. His was orange in color with golden eyes and teeth. Happily, Steve strapped his onto his left claw.

"WOOHOO!! I finally have one like the rest of you!" Steve shouted in glee.

"One thing though, I think we overloaded them during the whole Megidramon thing with the data draining." Zoe informed the others. "I was trying mine out just now, while Sekata was asleep. Well, after evolving myself a few times, I realized the D-Dragons lost most of their functions."

"Lost some functions?" Janet asked. "You mean..."

"Our evolution features still work. And so do the wide-scanning map and the communication features that allow us to speak when we're closer and send e-mails at further range." Zoe explained. "But that's it. Apparently any card slashing features or anything else doesn't."

"Bummer, no more getting quick boosts from cards it seems." Steve sighed.

"Doesn't matter..." Sekata pulled himself up. "We're back...together again..."

"Finally too." Zoe smiled, holding out her hand.

Sekata, Steve and Janet joined in, piling their claws on top of one another.

"Humph, mushiness." Siavon rolled his eyes. "I'll be outside."

"Hey don't be so anti-social you old grump!" Aero called chasing after him.

_Mushiness indeed. _AncientGreymon's voice rang out in Sekata's mind.

_Can't you just let me enjoy a moment of peace? _Sekata growled.

_No rest for the weary as they often say. I'm just here to warn you though, the next battle is right around the corner. And this will be your true test boy. _

_What do you mean?! _Sekata asked.

_You'll either be the one worthy to hold my Spirit, or you'll lose it. _AncientGreymon didn't answer directly. _And remember, the Spirit is your body now, your lifeline. Without it, hahaha, you're dead. _

Although it went unnoticed by his friends, Sekata swallowed hard.

* * *

Outside the medical center, a couple of shady figures stood on a hill, carefully observing the unknowing group.

"See that taller blue one ya? The girl standing outside." Beelzebumon pointed, lowering his binoculars.

"You sure about it?" A Cerberumon stepped up beside him. This creature certainly resembled the mystical guardian dog of Hades his name was derived from. A black dog with two 'false' heads at either shoulder and a set of long claws protruding from his front paws.

"Definitely, I saw the way she beat into the fool Vija, ya. Besides, we got plenty of info from Dynamo before that little runt decided to run over to Lucifer's side. Boss wants someone with her special talents, and there's one right here."

"Dynamo got on Master Daemon's bad side, both for two timing him and Lucifer." The demon dog growled.

"What? I've been sticking around with you guys, ya?"

"I was actually referring to the other point, the fact that Dynamo messed up a large number of missions. Something you're getting close to."

"Shaddaup little doggie." Beelzebumon pointed. "You don't do much either ya!"

"Humph, better go redeem yourself this time." Cerberumon said, completely ignoring his companion's comments.

"I will, ya? Just gotta wait for the right moment..."

* * *

"So, the shield and the dagger. Two of the Dragon artifacts we're looking for." Zoe nodded.

"These just might be our ticket back home." Steve nodded. He was back to his standard Flamedramon form here.

The pair was standing outside the medical center examining the two artifacts they'd acquired so far during their battles.

"But even if we do get all four together, how's it supposed to work?"

"Well, erm, that's the part we haven't figured out yet." Steve scratched his head. "I was sort of hoping you could actually."

"Me?" Zoe stuttered.

"I heard all about you having psychic powers in this world. Maybe you could, you know..."

"I've barely even practiced. I can't really control them yet, but they just seem to come out when I really need them somehow."

"You can figure out, can't you?"

"Perhaps..." Zoe closed her eyes.

_I don't even know if I want to. The more they come out, the more they scare me. _

"Hey there you are!" Janet in her new Strikedramon form stepped out from around the corner. Besides the normal stuff, Janet had also put on a black, sleeveless vest over her previously bare dragon body.

"Whoa, sure it's all right for you to be up Jan?" Steve asked.

"Of course! Thanks to you guys, I'm better than ever." She grinned, showing off a few kicks and punches. "I like the new look, and definitely the new form a lot better! And next time I see Dynamo...I'm gonna make him hurt. Very, very much..."

Janet cracked her knuckles and growled.

"You know, you're scary Jan." Steve chuckled.

"Oh, wanna see something real scary, short stuff?" Janet raised her D-Dragon. "Strikedramon evolves...Cyberdramon!"

"Hey are you sure that's such a good idea?" Steve asked. "What if you lose control?"

"Grrrrr..." Snarled the newly evolved Cyberdramon.

"Uh oh...Jan...that...you?"

Janet only stared straight into his eyes.

"Fresh meat..." She growled with a nasty look on her face.

"Eeek...argh!" Steve backed away. "Jan...try to...ugh!"

He was suddenly grabbed and held upside down by his tail.

"Gargh! Jan! Wake up! Snap out of it! Do something! WWAARRGGHH!"

"Food..." Janet tossed him up into the air, and opened her jaws.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!"

"Hargh!" Janet caught Steve and snapped her jaws shut inches away from his face.

Steve was trembling so much that Janet dropped him...and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Now that was scary, huh Steve?" She asked between breaths. "Man, it was so funny seeing you scream like a sissy little schoolgirl! Hahahahha!"

"What?! You...you...were in control the...whole time?!" Steve panted. "Dammit! I thought you were gonna eat me!!"

"Nah, Zoe knew it was me too, right Zoe?" Janet turned around. "Zoe?"

The XV-mon was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

_I'm glad some people are partially back to normal. _Zoe thought, walking further down the trail.

The pathway outside the medical center led out into a large garden which surrounded the three story building. Zoe was aimlessly walking along that path now, turning the two Dragon artifacts around in her claws. It was at least much more peaceful around here, without Janet and Steve constantly beating on one another.

_I wonder...can I really get my powers to tell me anything about these artifacts? I was told that I had to discover the answers on my own, in Ophanimon's words. Perhaps this was what she meant._

Zoe found a quiet spot under a tree and strapped the shield to her belt. Taking the dagger in both hands, she closed her eyes and focused. Like the other times she'd used her powers, this was a strange experience.

It was as if she were looking and asking if it could show her anything.

She was about to give up and let go when a series of images suddenly shot into her mind. Zoe saw a dark room, like the torture chamber of a castle. She was in it, and she was on some sort of altar, struggling.

A dark figure above her raised a dagger...the same one she was holding right now. Zoe wanted to scream, but as much as she tried no sound came out as the dagger came down.

Then, she was back, standing on the grass beneath the tree.

Panting, she dropped to her knees.

"What the...?! What...was that?" She asked herself.

That was when a shadow blocked out the sunlight, and Zoe looked up just in time to see it hitting her in the face.

* * *

Sekata started, suddenly wide awake. Something was wrong, he'd just felt it somehow.

The second story room he'd been moved to was quiet and empty. The others were probably somewhere else in the building right now, but...

There was a window nearby and Sekata pulled it open...to see Beelzebumon slinging an unconscious Zoe over his shoulder. Instantly, his instincts screamed.

Letting off a fierce roar, he threw the window wide open and leapt out, spreading his wings. Despite them still feeling stiff and weak, Sekata took the chance. And they failed him, dropping him like a brick against the concrete flooring beneath.

"Who? Wha...?" Beelzebumon spun round.

"You!!" Sekata pulled himself to his feet and fired a burst from his arm-mounted lasers.

The blast was both weaker than usual and off target, hitting the nearby tree and sending splinters flying everywhere. Beelzebumon was still startled by the attack. He stumbled, dropping Zoe and giving Sekata some time to close in them.

Blindly rushing in spite of his weakened state, Sekata tripped over his own tail and tumbled forward, taking a brutal upper cut to his lower jaw. His vision was still spinning as Beelzebumon attacked him again and again with a series of quick kicks and punches.

Sekata kept trying to raise his claws and defend himself, but the attacks just seemed to be too swift. Beelzebumon was constantly shouting something Sekata couldn't make out in his state of shock.

He wasn't even aware that he was receiving multiple dents and cracks in his armor.

Part of his helmet was then shattered, revealing he had a gray colored, Greymon style head beneath. Sekata tasted the blood in his mouth as much as he saw and felt the red fluid it flowing down his face. The other half of his helmet fell to the ground as a final kick tore a hole in his chest armor.

Though the scales beneath were red, his white chest and belly were covered by blood.

Sekata hit the ground, back first, barely aware of what was happening any more. However, he could still feel the force of Beelzebumon's boot pressing against his chest. He felt the shot fired into his now unarmored stomach.

And he saw the smirk on Beelzebumon's face as the dark biker raised his other gun, aiming it straight at Sekata's head.

* * *

"Hey Siavon wait up!" Aero waved, running down the path. "You're just going to leave like that? Without even saying goodbye?"

"I was never good at farewells." Siavon huffed as he continued walking.

"And what am I supposed to tell them?"

"That it's for the better."

"Siavon wait, let me ask you something first." Aero jogged up in front of the armored dragon-man. "What do you think of them? Being from another world? And that old legend and all?"

"If I didn't believe that, do you think I'd be leaving the two Dragon artifacts with them?"

"Yeah, well, point taken." Aero nodded.

"One thing that worries me a little is that they may have made some dangerous enemies."

"But you..."

BANG!!

"What was that?!" Aero jumped.

"Grrr...a gunshot." Siavon growled. "It came from over there..."

* * *

_Get up you fool! Defend yourself! _

Sekata didn't know what went through his mind, but it must've been some desperate survival instinct that forced him to roll to the right side. With his left claw, he took a swipe that knocked Beelzebumon's gun off target.

"Sekata! Zoe!" Janet suddenly sprang onto the scene, knocking the startled Beelzebumon aside.

"Gargh...damn!"

"You again?!" Steve growled. "What you do want this time?!"

"That ain't any of your business kid!" Beelzebumon yelled.

"We're making it our business!" Jan raised her claws. "Erase Claw!"

"Double Impact!" Beelzebumon drew his other gun and fired, the two attacks colliding in a loud bang that threw Janet backwards.

"Guys! What the?!" Aero came running around the corner, and his eyes instantly darkened upon seeing his old nemesis.

"Time for me to get outta here." Beelzebumon holstered his weapons, grabbed Zoe's unconscious form, and ran.

"NO!!" Sekata sprang up, despite Steve trying to calm the wounded dragon down.

A loud roar broke out the next instant as Beelzebumon's bike zoomed into the area. The biker mounted, and with Zoe captive, sped off.

"V-Wing..."

"Don't you'll hit Zoe!" Janet stepped in front of the Aero V-dramon.

"Follow him, he won't get far!" Siavon ordered.

The three flyers took to the sky as Steve watched from below. Sekata was breathing heavily as he tried to stand.

"Sekata you can't! You're bleeding all over, dammit!" Steve held out his arms. "Let me call the medics."

"Can't...Zoe...can't...leave..." Sekata growled. "RRaarrghhh...no..."

"Don't man! You won't be able to save her if you can't help yourself first!"

Sekata definitely couldn't do any more because he passed out on the spot.

* * *

"How do we see him through these trees?" Janet wondered.

"Keep watching for the dirt trail! He'll have to come out of the forested area some time." Aero muttered. "Look there!"

Beelzebumon raced out from within the trees, making a turn off the dirt road and down a slope. The area he seemed to be headed for was a dusty dirt canyon. However, the off road route he took slowed his bike down, allowing Aeromaru to close the gap.

All of a sudden, the biker whipped out a gun, turned his body and fired. Aero was forced to dodge the shots and got his wing caught in a nearby tree.

With a scream, he spun off course and slammed his head into an adjacent tree.

Siavon and Janet were suddenly attacked by another Digimon, a Cerberumon. The demon dog spewed out green flames, covering Beelzebumon as the biker dropped off a ledge.

"Hell Fire!" Cerberumon continued firing.

"I've got him." Janet spun in the air and charged forward. "Atomic Blast...dammit! Wrong attack...gagrh!!"

With nothing to block the green flames, Janet took a blast in the face and hit the ground with a splat.

"Gaia Force!" Siavon launched the trademark BlackWargreymon attack, hurling a huge ball of energy towards the ground.

Grinning, Cerberumon jumped off the ledge, disappearing in the cloud of dust that the energy blast stirred up.

"Aw crap!" Janet pulled herself to her feet, clutching her side in pain. "Where did they go?"

Siavon flew off the edge of the cliff and spotted a concealed ledge just below. Jan and Aero quickly joined him, standing on the ledge that led into a small cavern in the walls of the canyon.

"We've got them now." Aero snarled.

The trio stepped into the cave...and stopped short. It led to a dead end, with no traces of their opponents, or Zoe, at all.

"What in the world?" Aero stuttered.

"This is really bad." Janet sighed, walking to the wall and running her claws over it. "Wait, look at these!"

Engraved on the wall were a series of odd symbols resembling the ancient hieroglyphics of Egypt. While it was hard to make out most of the pictures, one seemed to stand out.

The carving of a swirling doorway, leading to an unknown area beyond.

"These must be one of the ancient Waypoints." Siavon said softly.

"Waypoints?" Janet asked.

"Long ago, it was written that some areas were linked by magical teleportation points there could be used to travel between each other in the blink of an eye. Nowadays the secret of activating them has been lost to all but a few."

"And how about you?" Aero looked up.

"If I knew, do you think I'd be standing here talking to a couple of intellectually-challenged individuals?" Siavon huffed.

Everyone else moaned.

* * *

"You were pathetic kid, absolutely pathetic!"

Sekata opened his eyes and rolled over. Once again, he was back in temple of the 'Spiritual Graveyard', only now without his Vritramon helmet or upper body armor.

AncientGreymon stood there, intimidating as even. Though this time, Sekata didn't really care.

"Will you just shut up for once?!" Sekata roared.

"Why? Couldn't save your girl? Sad, but cry me a river for all I care."

"And how do you think I feel about it?! And you just keep mocking me for every mistake I make!!"

"I think you were more useful as a statue..."

Sekata suddenly charged in a fit of rage, which AncientGreymon sidestepped a couple of times before catching Sekata with his tail and hurling the smaller dragon head over heels. The Vritramon rolled down the stairs and smacked his jaw against the stone ground with a painful crunch.

"RRRRAAARRGGGHHH!!" Sekata was screaming in pain, not entirely because of his fall, but because a vision had just snapped into his mind.

Zoe was there in a torture chamber in some dark place. There were equally shadowed figures standing around, all chanting in some strange language. She was in pain, crying out to the endless void.

Someone raised a knife, and the pain suddenly became his own.

The weapon stabbed him over and over again, spilling his red blood like a river. He felt more weapons, tearing into his scales, flesh and muscles.

Sekata felt as if his arms were being ripped off, and then his legs when he could no longer feel his arms. Another blade was cutting into his tail, pulling that off. Hands grasped onto his helpless body, tearing his wings off. More blades came for his neck, his face, his eyes...

"Stop it!! STOP IT!! AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The pain and visions subsided, but the mental flashes lingered in Sekata's mind.

He was back, relatively unscratched, but at a different part of the graveyard. Sekata realized it was the section with all the gravestones.

"You felt that, didn't you?" AncientGreymon asked. "That's her powers acting up. Her subconsciousness begging you to save her."

"How...how would you know...?" Sekata panted, still on his hands and knees.

"How? I'm telepathic too in case you haven't figured out yet." AncientGreymon replied. "Perhaps not nearly as strong in that field, but yes, it's my gift too."

"Will that happen?" Sekata glanced into his eyes. "Will she die?"

"Hard to see." AncientGreymon closed his eyes and shook his head. "The future can always change in an instant. All it takes is one simple action, and an entire series of events is altered."

"But how...how do I fight...in this state..." Sekata breathed, dropping his head against the ground. "I can't...take it..."

"Just look behind you."

Sekata turned and saw the gravestone with his name carved on it. Everything about AncientGreymon's offer slowly crept back into his mind.

"That's what you want, don't you? No it's what you need." AncientGreymon spoke. "Power...the power to destroy your enemies. Burry them within the blades of your hatred. You already know the consequences, and well, recent events have pushed you further towards them. You've got almost nothing left to lose now..."

Sekata clenched his fists. The thoughts, the anger welled up in his mind. About everything that had happened, about Zoe, about his constant failures.

"I want that power..." Sekata stood up. "But not just that. I want to power to not only destroy all who oppose me, but completely annihilate them! Wipe them off the face of existence forever!! It's not just the other Spirit I want! It's more..."

"Hmmm...this?" AncientGreymon produced a gigantic sword in one of his fore claws.

It was silver in color, with a beautifully decorated blue core at its hilt. Several gold markings ran along its blade as the weapon seemed to give off a glow of its own. Notably, and Sekata knew it too, it was the Ryuukonken (Dragon Soul Sword), the weapon of a certain Digimon known as Kaiser Greymon (Emperor Greymon).

"The offer is the same as always." AncientGreymon continued.

Silently, Sekata walked over to his gravestone. He reached out a hand and hesitated only for a moment before extending his fingers. With his sharp claws, he slowly and carefully carved his signature (in Japanese) below his name.

"Welcome to my world boy." AncientGreymon chuckled. "See I told you that you'd make the right decision eventually."

Sekata took the sword and held it up. Flames surrounded his figure as the energy coursed through his body. Sekata took a moment to let the mystical forces around him settle, before raising the Ryuukonken.

"Hyper Spirit Evolution!"


	27. Kaiser’s Fury

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Kaiser's Fury**

By nightdragon0

"Sekata? Hey, you're awake!"

Blinking, Sekata opened his eyes to find Steve's Flamedramon face staring down at him. Immediately, the pain of the wounds on his physical body came to mind, something he hadn't had to deal with in the 'Dream World' earlier.

Groaning, he felt the bandages warped around his unarmored chest. His damaged helmet and body armor lay in a pile beside his bed, still carrying the 'scars' of his lost battle.

"Whoa, you shouldn't be getting up so soon." Steve waved as Sekata pulled himself up. "You're hurt, even worse than before right now."

"I'm fine..." Sekata growled, sitting upright in the cot. "I am now at least."

"You took a real beating out there."

"I know. But this time, it will be different." Sekata down to his body armor and drew the Ryuukonken great sword from a sheath attached to the armor's backplate. Something that with no doubt, hadn't been there before.

It probably had something to do with AncientGreymon's manipulation, but Sekata didn't really care at that point. Steve gasped when he saw the sword, and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. However, at a loss of words, Steve quickly shut his jaws.

"Where are the others?" Sekata queried.

"Just got a call from Janet through my Digivice. They were chasing Beelzebumon, but he had help and they lost trace of all of them. They think the creeps used some sort of teleportation device to get away. Janet's still searching around the area with Aero and Siavon though."

"Hmmm..." Sekata bared his fangs, glaring at his reflection in the sword's blade. "Then its time to see what this thing can do."

"Seakta...are you sure you're all right?"

Sekata stepped out of the cot, wincing a little at the pain, and made sure his D-Dragon was securely strapped on. He checked his bandages, which were wrapped across his entire chest and shoulders, making sure they would stay on too. His armor was badly damaged however, and Sekata decided to leave it where it was. He did take his arm guards however, which included the laser blasters mounted to them.

On the nightstand lay his pair of goggles. Sekata grabbed them and tied them to his utility belt.

He then stretched his orange, 'feathery' wings, whipped his tail about and took a couple of steps, making sure his body was in perfect working condition.

Finally, he turned towards Steve.

"Me? Like I said, I'm fine. In fact, I'm a whole new dragon..."

* * *

"Look! See them?" Janet pointed.

The Cyberdramon, Aero V-dramon and BlackWargreymon gathered round as Sekata landed, with Steve following him in Gargoylemon form.

"Sorry guys, I tried to stop him, but he insisted." Steve said.

"I told you, I'm all right." Sekata insisted. "It's Zoe that's my concern right now. Where's the spot you said they disappeared from?"

"We'll show you." Aero gestured. "Just take care of yourself buddy, or you won't be able to help anyone."

"I've had enough of hearing about what I can't do." Sekata growled. "Just show me the way."

"Famous last words." Siavon noted, though he did nothing to stop Sekata from walking past.

It wasn't long before the group had jumped down onto the ledge and was standing at the dead end tunnel, the place where they'd seen the odd hieroglyphics.

"We haven't figured out how to work this Waypoint thing, or else we would've definitely gone after them by now." Janet told him.

"Hmmm..." Sekata touched the symbols with a claw, and felt a slight tingle by his side. It was the Ryuukonken that was reacting to the symbols. "Huh? The sword..."

_The sword also posses ancient and mystical powers._ AncientGreymon's voice rang out in his mind. _It's a complicated matter, but think of it as a lock and key. The key normally opens the lock, and in turn the door. But there are other ways we can get a lock open, a lock pick perhaps. _

"A lock pick?"

_Indeed. Then, you'll have to trace the pathway of your opponent. Not too difficult. Just listen to the sword, all the knowledge buried within it is now at your disposal. Oh, and don't think I'm telling you all this for fun, boy. I want to see you annihilate your enemies too. And I expect a better show than before. _

"You'll get it all right." Sekata said to himself.

Sekata then brought the sword up to the symbols and closed his eyes. Immediately, his surroundings changed.

He was now floating in a vast, black space with dozens of colored lights flying around. Ahead of him was a puzzle, consisting of pieces of a white, solid square that he had to put together. Not knowing how he knew and not caring, Sekata moved with the flow, letting the powers of the weapon control his movements and he fitted each piece into place.

Once that was done, the competed square glowed brightly, causing Sekata to turn away. When the lights dimmed, he found a swirling white pathway leading into the depths beyond.

"This way is the only pathway that has been used recently." Sekata spoke the words that jumped into his mind. "It has to be the one we want then."

He blinked, and suddenly, he was back in the outside world with his companions. Sekata felt a pang of exhaustion and stumbled backwards, into Janet's and Aero's arms.

"You did it, somehow." Aero stared, pointing at the wall, which had now opened up into the same swirling vortex Sekata had seen earlier.

"It's amazing." Janet agreed.

"Did the sword do that?" Steve wondered.

"Doesn't matter." Sekata growled. "Its power worked, that's all I care about. Now, let's go."

Siavon raised an eye in interest, but didn't say anything more.

* * *

The destination of the group would be the barren wasteland that two other warriors were crossing right now. The dark sky gave off little light against the sandy ground. However, the large building in the center of the area certainly stood out.

It was more like a fortress, surrounded by a tall wire fence. The few lights on the outside walls also gave the place an eerie feeling, but those were the lights the two were trying to avoid.

"So this is the famous Daemon's place huh?" A Chaos Dukemon, otherwise known as Dynamo, shrugged. "Guess with what he does, he can afford something pretty fancy."

"Why, having second thoughts?" Junon, the RhodoKnightmon, asked as they walked.

"Hey, Ok I know I have a bad history, but I like it better on Lucifer's side." Dynamo waved. "Say I thought these two were friends or something."

"I would prefer to term it as a 'friendly rivalry', if you get what I mean." Junon chuckled. "Lord Lucifer and Daemon have had a long history of working amongst the hidden streets of the black markets. But when the time comes, you just have to weigh out what you can gain and what you lose."

"In other word, time to cut your old rival lose. Heh, I like his way of thinking."

"And that's what we're here for."

"Us? We have to fight that crazy old warlock?"

"Not directly." Junon continued. "You see, Daemon seeks to unleash the hidden darkness."

"Huh?"

"This apparently comes about when one collects the 4 Dragon Artifacts and spills a holy dragon's blood on them. Then a new creature will be brought back into existence. They say this is the CHAOS itself."

"You don't actually believe those silly stories do you?" Dynamo laughed. "I'm sure it's just to boost his power or something."

"Well, no one's paying you for your opinion."

"Then, if Daemon's doing all this stuff, where do we come in?"

"If you want to know, get down behind these rocks and look over there."

Though confused, Dynamo joined his companion in ducking behind the cluster of boulders. It was then that another group came into view, apparently having emerged from the nearby ravine.

"Those are..." Dynamo stared.

_Jan's buddies._ He silently finished.

"The chosen, just as Lord Lucifer predicted." Junon whispered. "One of their number is indeed the holy dragon in question, and now they've come to their comrade's aid."

Dynamo however, wasn't really paying attention, but instead examining the new group.

_No Guilmon, or any of its evolutions. _He noted. _So princess isn't here with them. Could that mean that...she didn't make it...? _

"Hey Dynamo?"

"Huh? Oh nothing." The black knight shook his head. "Just thinking about what we should be doing next."

"Humph. Just don't get distracted." Junon warned. "We'll follow the chosen at a distance for now, but it's imperative that we remain hidden."

* * *

Zoe's body was aching all over. It had been since the moment she'd woken up to find herself blindfolded, snout tied shut and chained on the back to some cold metal surface. The straps went all over her body, preventing her from even moving the slightest or from firing an X-laser. Not the best of situations indeed.

_Not again. Why me? _She thought. _I'm always the one who's getting into these messes._

There were some voices nearby and Zoe struggled to hear them.

"So we now have all four of the Dragon Artifacts?" A deep, booming voice asked.

"Yeah, nicely got the last two from the girl, ya." A second one replied, which undoubtedly had to belong to Beelzebumon.

It hurt her inwardly too, knowing that the latter part was another of her faults.

"Good, so when the blood of the holy dragon is spilt, the beast of darkness can then be unleashed." The first voice continued.

_Holy dragon?_ _Beast of darkness? _

Somehow, that brought an image back to her mind. It was the one she'd seen earlier, herself struggling on an altar, just before being stabbed with the Dragon Dagger. And her current situation was...no it couldn't be...

In panic, Zoe had begun to struggle, though her efforts were in vain, they succeeded in rattling the chains.

"So, the sacrifice is awake? No matter, we are ready to begin. Guards, leave us!"

Her blindfold was suddenly ripped off, allowing Zoe to find her worst fears had come true. This was the same castle torture chamber she'd seen in her vision.

She could make out the altar the lay on, consisting of the raised flat surface she was strapped to. This section was supported by several table legs, and the entire thing placed into a pit dug into the stony floor. The pit was filled with a red liquid, which her sense of smell identified as blood. It caused her to shiver just thinking about where it had come from.

Fear then hit Zoe in waves as she started struggling again. However, all her efforts remained futile.

A door slammed shut as the last of the dog-like Dobermon guards left the room, leaving just Beelzebumon, a Cerberumon and...

_Daemon?_

Even Zoe was sure of it. The horned, humanoid figure was clad in a red and black cloak, with only his glowing red eyes and clawed hands showing.

Daemon moved forward and slotted three objects beneath the section of the altar she lay on. One of them was the Dragon Shield, and Zoe assumed the golden colored Staff and Sword were part of the Dragon Artifacts' collection too.

"You begin the sacrificial procedure, while I will go below and begin reciting the spell." Daemon ordered. "All power in the castle, however, will be shut down, just in case their currents interfere with the waves of this ancient magic."

"Yeah, I've got it boss."

"Watch him, Cerberumon."

"As you command, master." The demon dog bowed.

Daemon stepped on a section of the floor, which opened up and descended like a lift. He disappeared to the level below.

"Shame he has to waste her like this." Beelzebumon muttered, tossing the Dragon Dagger about. "There are a lot of nicer thing I could've used her for, heheh."

As he stroked the side of her head, Zoe shuddered from his touch and did her best to pull away.

The lighting in the room then dimmed down significantly, with only the moonlight streaming in through the open windows.

"Just get on with it and don't keep the master waiting." Cerberumon hissed.

"Yeah, yeah." Beelzebumon raised the dagger.

Zoe could do nothing but close her eyes.

* * *

"You just want to barge into Daemon's castle?" Steve gasped. "After everything Siavon's told you about that guy?"

The group of 5 had gathered outside the fence, hiding in the shadows of some nearby rock formations.

"I don't see what this fence is even for." Sekata growled, avoiding Steve's queries. "We could easily tear it down or just fly over it."

"They're probably laden with traps." Aero warned. "Or they could trigger an alarm. We could fight a few soldiers, but not an entire army."

"And we just keep waiting here?"

"Hey, look there!" Janet gestured. "The lights just went out."

Indeed, the area surrounding the fortress had suddenly darkened to match with the blackness of the area.

"Something just doesn't feel right about this." Aero commented.

"Arghh!" Sekata suddenly dropped to his knees, clutching his head. He'd just felt a burst of pain...exactly like his vision in the 'Dream World'. "Zoe...she's..."

"What? Sekata?" Janet leaned closer. "How...ugh...!"

Sekata swung his arms, knocking Janet, Steve and Aero backwards.

"Are you insane?" Siavon hissed.

"Don't try and stop me!" He roared, making a dash for the fence.

In one motion, he whipped out his massive sword and swung it at the fence. The result was an explosive burst of flames that blew a good section of it away.

The frenzied dragon then barged through, arousing shouts from the guards closer to his point of entry. A side door swung open and a couple of NeoDevimon guards rushed to engage.

These were similar to the normal Devimon, with the same humanoid body structure and wings. However, these synthetic fallen angels had been cybernetically enhanced from their normal forms. Each had a pair of horns on their heads, red, messy hair and a featureless mask covering their faces.

Sekata simply knocked the first one away with his right fist and swung the bottom of his sword into the other's face in order to stun it. However, it still lashed out with its claws, catching Sekata across the left shoulder.

The new wound ripped through part of the bandages on his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Janet then came charging in, slamming Sekata's attacker out of the way.

"Plasma Shot!" Steve, in his golden Magnamon armor, sent off a blast that took out the first NeoDevimon.

Huge explosions could also be heard from the other side of the fortress.

"That's Siavon throwing off random blasts as a distraction." Steve called, running up to Sekata's side.

Aero then dropped out of the sky and crushed the body of the NeoDevimon Janet had been fighting with.

"I have the feeling you know where to go." Aero spoke. "Leave the guys outside to me, go on in and help Zoe."

The Aero V-dramon then leapt up and fired off a V-Wing Blade, stirring up a cloud of dust to deter the new group of guards who were approaching.

"This way!" Sekata nodded, leading Steve and Jan around the corner.

Spreading his wings, Sekata flew up and fired his Corona Blasters into the third level wall. Then, he used a shoulder charged to smash through.

Amongst the shower of bricks and dust, all he saw was the altar, Zoe tied to it, and Beelzebumon standing over her.

* * *

"Zoe!" Sekata roared.

Forgetting everything else, he rushed forward and was promptly tackled by Cerberumon. The demon dog slammed Sekata onto his back, attempting to bite into his neck.

Sekata wrestled with his opponent's jaws struggling to hold the deadly fangs at bay. While at it, Cerberumon's fore claws were still cutting into the bandages of his unarmored chest.

"Hey you!" Janet's voice called.

Cerberumon made the mistake of looking up and firing the green flames from his mouth. Steve and Janet dodged, but Cerberumon was distracted for long enough to allow Sekata to throw him off.

Sekata immediately went after Zoe and Beelzebumon, giving Cerberumon a clean shot at his back. Steve quickly jumped onto the demon dog, throwing his aim off target and causing Cerberumon's Hell Fire attack to blow out a wall instead.

"Grrr... Inferno Gate!" Cerberumon chanted.

A dark portal formed and Cerberumon leapt into it, carrying Steve into a dark area with scattered circular portals around, each one showing different parts of the room outside.

"This is your stop...the bottomless pit of darkness!" Cerberumon declared, slamming Steve into the side.

"Urgh...!" Steve felt as if he'd just hit a brick wall and released his grip on Cerberumon's neck. The next instant, some strong current was dragging him into the dark depths. "ARGHHH! Jan! Help!"

Steve barely managed to save himself by grabbing onto the edge of a nearby portal. Gripping on with all his might, Steve pulled himself up partway, and was able to see Janet busy struggling with Cerberumon outside.

* * *

With a roar, Sekata unleashed a round of energy bolts from his blasters. Beelzebumon saw the attack coming and ducked, letting the bolts fly over his head.

By then, Sekata was upon him, elbowing him in the chest before throwing him into the closest wall. The dagger he'd been holding fell onto the floor and clattered out of sight. That seemed to have Beelzebumon stunned for a while, and Sekata ran to Zoe's side.

"Zoe, talk to me please." He pleaded, ripping her bindings apart. "Zoe!"

"Ugh...Sekata..."

Holding Zoe in his arms, Sekata could see that she had multiple stab wounds on her shoulders, legs, tail and was covered with blood. She was in shock, but otherwise all right. At least not to the point of the pain Sekata had felt in the 'Dream World'.

"Watch it!" She warned.

"Rrrargh!"

A bullet went through one of Sekata's wings.

"You're damn persistent, ya?" Beelzebumon muttered, bringing up his guns. "You can't win either way, so just give up now!"

Sekata carefully placed Zoe behind the altar where she would be shielded from any attacks. He then turned to face his nemesis, drawing the Ryuukonken.

"I've had just enough of your ugly face as well." Sekata growled. "And it's time I ended this, once and for all!"

"Harh! Brave words, but you're still too weak, ya!" Beelzebumon yelled. "Double Impact!"

Time seemed to slow down as the spray of bullets came towards him. However, Sekata had a wicked grin on his face. Taking a firm, left-handed grip on his weapon, Sekata raised the sword above his head and brought it down.

The fiery blast that resulted threw Beelzebumon back against the wall. But when the demon looked up, Sekata was still standing, completely unscratched by the explosion.

"Ugh...huh?"

* * *

"I have the power this time." Sekata declared. "No one else will ever stand in my way! Hyper Spirit Evolution!"

Sekata brought the sword to his face and closed his eyes. He felt the power within the blade...the power of the Spirits imbued into it.

The images of those Legendary Warriors flashed as flames begun swirling around, engulfing his entire body. In an instant, his Vritramon body was back to its fully armored and uninjured state.

But even then, a new change was beginning.

The flames formed into the heads of fiery dragons that swirled around the Vritramon. The original armor broke away and faded into the flames, leaving the roughly dragonoid form to become clad in a new set.

This figure was completely covered in red armor as well, with stripes of golden all around. The shoulder and arm pads of this humanoid warrior were designed to resemble horned dragon heads. His helmet too, was orange with the three-horned, Greymon-style design.

The eyes glowed red, then reverted to their normal blue coloring as the flames faded.

Sekata now looked up and snatched up the Ryuukonken in his left hand. Both the sword and his D-Dragon glowed with the Kanji symbol of fire, honoo, as he moved the weapon into a battle stance.

"Kaiser Greymon!" (Emperor Greymon)

"Huh? GGaarrgghh!"

Startled, Beelzebumon just kept firing. Sekata simply stood still and deflected the bullets away with his sword.

"Don't make me laugh." Sekata declared in a louder and more powerful voice.

In a flash, he'd closed the gap between them and attacked Beelzebumon with a knee butt to the stomach, causing the dark biker to lose his weapons. That was followed by an uppercut to the lower jaw and a spinning kick that sent Beelzebumon crashing into the wall.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Beelzebumon managed to grab his dropped guns, only to have Sekata slice them apart.

Sekata grabbed his opponent around the neck and hurled him into the wall again.

"Argghh...now you've...left me with no choice..." Beelzebumon panted, reaching into his pocket. "I didn't want to use this against you, kid. But this...is my ultimate power...!"

The dark Digimon raised a black orb into the air and crushed it. Immediately, black rays of energy flowed from it into his body.

"What's this?" Sekata muttered.

A pair of black, feathered wings emerged from Beelzebumon's back, and a long silver cannon formed on his right hand.

"Mode change! Beelzebumon Blast Mode!"

"Come and get me." Sekata growled, holding his sword defensively. "Nothing you can do will ever match up to me!"

With a yell, Beelzebumon charged it, swinging the cannon to match the blows of Sekata's sword. Sparks flew as the two combatants clashed, screaming and growling in fury.

Sekata blocked several blows before lashing out with the bottom of his weapon. He managed to hit Beelzebumon's face, but his opponent still swung his cannon and bashed the side of Sekata's helmet with it.

The dragon knight fell onto his back, and Beelzebumon stamped a heavy boot onto his chest. Gasping in pain, Sekata grabbed the leg and twisted, causing Beelzebumon to stumble. Sekata then rolled to the side and kicked Beelzebumon from behind.

Beelzebumon lost his balance and stumbled close to the wall. This time however, the biker used the wall as a springboard to bounce off. Sekata dropped backwards and flipped Beelzebumon over his head.

The demon executed a summersault in midair, landed on his feet, and spun round. Sekata was now on the floor, and there was sufficient distance between them. Beelzebumon took the chance and waved his free hand about, drawing a circle of symbols in the air.

"Death Slinger!" He called, firing his cannon through the symbols.

Sekata quickly snatched up his sword and several sections emerged from its sides. In particular, the tip opened like a gun (or perhaps a Gunblade, if you consider Final Fantasy 8).

"Enryuugeki!" (Flame Dragon Attack)

The two attacks met in the center of the arena, pushing hard against the other. Once enough power had been built up within them, both exploded in a huge cloud of dust.

"Gargh! Ugh!" Beelzebumon coughed, trying to see through the smoke. "Where...?"

"RRAAGGHH!" With a thunderous roar, Sekata descended from above, where he'd jumped up to avoid the blast.

His sword came down...and went straight through the chest of Beelzebumon. The dark warrior was barely able to scream in pain as Sekata shoved against him, smashing his back into one last wall.

Holding the weakened foe with his knee, Sekata withdrew his sword and stuck the gun section at the bottom of Beelzebumon's chin.

"Go to hell." Sekata grinned.

Then, he pulled the trigger.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cerberumon had finally managed to toss Janet aside when he heard the 'bang'.

"Wha... Beelzebumon...? Gargh!"

"You get distracted, far too easily!" Aero snarled, digging his claws into the demon dog's sides. "Take that!"

"RARGH!" Cerberumon was sent flying and was immediately caught up in the suction force of the portals made by his own Inferno Gate ability, disappearing into the darkness. "Crap! Argh!"

"Steve here!" Aero grabbed a steel pipe that had been lying around and extended to the dragon in need.

Grunting, it took Steve a lot of pulling and several swings before his claw finally caught the pipe. As Aero desperately dug his claws into the stony ground to keep his footing, another strong hand came around his waist to help.

"I owe you this one Steve, big time." Janet muttered, tugging hard. "Don't you dare die on me now!"

"Hey, that's...my line..." Steve panted as his friends slowly, but steadily dragged him to safety.

"Use an energy blast to close the portal!" Aero ordered.

"Got it!" Steve released one hand and so he could angle his shoulder cannons towards the portal. "Plasma Shot!"

Cerberumon pulled himself out of the portal just in time to take the golden energy blast right in the face. The demon dog fell through, screaming, as all traces of his portals vanished in a burst of dark energy. That sent the surviving trio flying backwards.

"That was close..." Janet panted.

She then realized she was hugging onto Steve and immediately threw him off.

"Hey!" Steve protested. "What's the big deal? You're the one holding on to m...ugh!"

Janet stamped on his tail to shut him up.

"Sekata?" Aero asked.

Like a knight in shinning armor, the Kaiser Greymon was walking over to their group, carrying Zoe in his arms.

"Glad that...everyone's all right." Sekata panted.

"Hmmm..." Aero turned his head, glancing over to the crumpled mess that was left of Beelzebumon. "The Hunter is down."

"That was my doing." Sekata acknowledged. "I'm sorry, Zoe told me about your late partner. And..."

"No, I must thank you for avenging her." Aero nodded. "Alicia, my friend, can now rest in peace."

"Guys...not over...yet..." Zoe managed. "There's still..."

"Those fools served their purposes, but the ritual is complete either way." Daemon's booming voice sounded as he emerged from the lower section.

"Those are..." Steve stared.

"Oh no!" Zoe gasped.

Daemon had 3 of the blood stained Dragon Artifacts in his hands, and now reached down and retrieved the Dragon Dagger.

"You will be the first sacrifices to my new empire!" Daemon declared. "Watch as I...gargh!"

BOOM! A loud explosion shook the area, causing everyone to stumble.

"What is this? Guards!" Daemon shouted as the floor begun to collapse.

"Everyone, run now!" Sekata yelled.

The entire group scrambled as the fortress literally came down on top of heads.

* * *

Thanks to their flying abilities, the group made it out in time to watch the lower sections of the fortress collapsing. A battle worn Siavon came up and stood by the party within the fenced compound. The place looked like a war zone, with blackened sand and smoking craters everywhere.

Any guards who hadn't been crushed in the collapse were fleeing, and some were still visible flying or running off into the distance.

"Nice work old man." Steve commented, nudging Siavon's side. "Though you could've told us before you brought the house down on us."

"That was none of my doing." Siavon replied.

"Huh? Then who...?"

There was a coughing sound as another figure emerged from the rubble.

"Jeez, for some rich guy, I'm sure he could've afforded a more complex electrical system." The Chaos Dukemon chuckled. "All I needed to do was twist a few wires around BOOM! One chain reaction leading to the big bang."

"YOU!" Everyone stared.

"Hey! I have a name and it's Dynamo! Get it right!"

"And just what are you doing here?" Janet demanded.

"Lady, I'd think you'd be a little more happy to see the guy who just helped you bunch beat the big bad warlock." Dynamo said with a laugh. "Say, you new to this group? Don't think I've seen you hanging out with em' before."

"You don't recognize me? I'm..." Janet stopped short, remembering her change of forms.

A sudden roar caused everyone to stop and turn as Daemon burst out of the rubble.

Now, the demon lord had his cloak off, revealing his true form as an upright, winged beast. There was brown fur around his arms and legs. He still retained his long clawed hands, only now his feet showed the same, clawed toes as well.

The face was what one would expect of a demon, with rows of teeth, a long jaw and a pair of bull-like horns on his head.

"Damn, he's not dead yet." Dynamo muttered.

"Be careful you fool!" Junon yelled, appearing on the scene just in time to knock Dynamo out of the way.

However, Daemon's claw swipe caught Junon at the side of his helmet, sending the pink knight rolling over.

"Gaarrgghh!" Junon screamed as a loud hissing sound came from his helmet. "Damn, messed up my voice synthesizer!"

The knight was forced to thrown his helmet off, revealing to everyone his real face. Or perhaps, 'her' real face was a better definition. Junon had a rather human-like face of a young blue-eyed, blond haired female, though her ears were pointed like an elf's.

"I knew there was something strange about you!" Dynamo gasped. "No sane guy would ever wear pink. But I thought only guys could qualify as Royal Knights?"

"So, what do you think I was doing? Trying to 'qualify' as you put it." Junon muttered. "But now's not the time for this, we have other matters to worry about. Keeping the guards distracted took more out of me than I expected, but..."

She then noticed Sekata and his group with their weapons ready.

"Well friends, it seems as if we have a common foe for now." Junon smiled. "It may not look like it, but he's been weakened significantly. And just for this battle, working together would be...mutually beneficial to both our sides."

"Grrr...this Daemon...he's the one responsible for what happened to Zoe." Sekata hissed, bringing up his weapon. "I'll never forgive him for this!"

"Sekata..." Zoe muttered weakly, though she was being supported at the rear of the group by Steve.

"Well, if you're going Sekata, so am I." Janet nodded.

"Be careful, this guy is dangerous." Aero added in, stepping up to the group.

"Humph, I don't know just what drives your insanity." Siavon huffed. "Well, since it looks bad on my image if I can't fight something you children are, then..."

With that, he drew his remaining claw weapon and stepped forward.

The beast-like form of Daemon roared, signifying the start of their battle.


	28. Imperial Roar

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Imperial Roar**

By nightdragon0

Sekata's grip on his weapon tightened as the burst of flames came towards him.

While the others quickly scattered to avoid Daemon's fire elemental attack, Sekata stood his ground, weapon ready. The blade literally cut through the flames, scattering the attack as he snarled.

"That the best you can do?" Sekata fired a burst of energy from his sword, throwing the demon backwards.

"Hmm...impressive indeed." Junon muttered.

"Erase Claw!"

"V-Wing Blade!"

Janet and Aero launched their attacks at their fallen opponent, who'd recovered enough to block them. Siavon somersaulted over Daemon and prepared to strike.

Unfortunately, Daemon threw off his Chaos Flare ability, a flaming spell that forced Siavon to block with his black shield plates.

"Get the device ready." Junon whispered as she walked past Dynamo. "You know what to do."

"Heh, yeah." Dynamo smirked.

"Argent Fear!" Junon dashed around, firing off energy bursts from her arm mounted weapon, the Pile Bunker.

Being struck by the new attack, Daemon's attention turned from Siavon towards Junon. Dynamo then came round behind Daemon and lashed out with his lance.

"Demon's Disaster!" The black knight called out.

The strikes left several wounds along Daemon's back, but the dark Digimon also turned around and swung a claw, knocking Dynamo over.

Sekata then came charging in to match his sword blows with Daemon's claw swipes. His opponent wasn't much larger in size then him, and Sekata was able to make several swift strikes to Daemon's face with his free hand. Enraged, the demon rammed into him, throwing Sekata back against Janet.

Aero took the opportunity to fly in from the side and strike with his claws. Daemon however, grabbed his shoulders and tossed him into Siavon. But because of his larger physique, Siavon didn't budge much as Aero slammed into his armor.

Junon, on the other side, prepared the four blade-like ribbons mounted on her shoulders and waist, then moved in.

"Spiral Masquerade!" In a series of lightning fast blows, she slashed at Daemon's face and upper body.

That was more of a covering move for Dynamo than a full-forced blow. Dynamo was close by, and unseen by the other combatants, fixed an additional sharp point to his lance. As Junon leapt away, Dynamo followed up with a ferocious lance attack that went through the demon's body.

Daemon just howled and punched Dynamo away, leaving Siavon to jump in and make a couple of quick slashes before rolling out of attacking range.

"As strong as he is, he can't keep this up against all of us." Sekata panted.

"Yeah, we have him." Aero added in.

That was when Daemon put his claws together and began chanting in an odd language.

"What's that?" Janet wondered, hesitating with the rest of the group.

Suddenly, Daemon raised his arms, causing a pillar of flames to rise from the ground beneath him. The entire group stared in shock as the pillar split into multiple columns of fiery waves, with one coming for each of them. This was the Flame Inferno, Daemon's summoning spell.

Sekata gritted his fangs beneath his helmet as he was engulfed by the flames. It was impossible to make out how the others were doing, but Sekata was beginning to feel the heat even through his armor...and the pain together with it that caused him to cry out in agony.

* * *

"Try to rest Zoe." Steve urged. "Sekata and the others can take care of that freak."

"I know...but..." Zoe shook her head. "I just hate being the burden all the time."

Steve had helped her out of the fenced compound and to a raised cluster of rocks where they were resting now.

"You shouldn't think about it that way."

"Grrr...it's just that, I want to help, but I can never seem to. I'd think you'd want to be fighting alongside the others instead of looking after me."

"Part of being a team is looking out for one another." Steve replied.

_Besides, they all have more powerful forms than I do. _He thought dejectedly, glaring down at his D-Dragon.

"Steve, Look!"

"Huh? What the?" The golden armored Magnamon looked up just in time to see the entire battlefield engulfed by flames. "Oh crap! That must be one of Daemon's special attacks!"

"We have to help them." Zoe muttered, standing up.

"Let me go, you're in no condition for this." Steve insisted.

"No, we'll have a better chance if we attack together." Zoe raised her D-Dragon and blue rings of Digicode surrounded her body.

In a flashed, she'd switched to her Paildramon form. Whilst the new armor hid most of the injuries she's sustained earlier, Zoe's slower motions still showed that she was rather drained from the ordeal.

"Jeez, between you, Sekata and Janet, no one of this team seems to understand the meaning of rest and recover." Steve growled. "Well, if you insist, then let's go save them."

"You go ahead and send a few shots in. I'll follow from the side and attack at the same time."

"Sounds good!" Steve nodded, breaking off in a run.

As Zoe followed, she happened to glance towards the ground for a moment. However, in that instant, she saw something made her stop. The shadow she'd expected to see of her Paildramon form wasn't there, but instead the shadow of a large, quadrupled dragon.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

_My imagination? Or perhaps... _

"Plasma Shot!"

Zoe shook the thoughts off as she realized that Steve had already begun his attack. She flew to the other side and unleashed her Desperado Blaster move, spraying the beast-like form of Daemon with blue energy bolts.

Distracted, Daemon's fiery spell was interrupted, causing the flames to disperse. This revealed the others to be crouching on the floor in pain, but the moment they were freed from the spell, Sekata sprang up and slashed at Daemon with his blade.

"Sekata! You all right?" She called.

"Zoe! Hey you're in no condition to be fighting!" Sekata turned and yelled, while the others continued the battle.

"Doesn't that sound like someone we know?" Steve quipped.

Janet smacked him on the shoulder.

"Hey, don't interrupt their moment!" She whispered.

"Oh yeah, I forget." Steve muttered, scratching his head.

"I want to contribute much more to this team instead of being everyone's burden." Zoe declared. "I don't want to be that frightened little girl inside any more."

"You're not Zoe! I've never thought of you that way." Sekata moved to her side. "You're as strong as anyone on this team, and I know it."

"Guys!" Janet interrupted.

"Watch it...GARGHH!" A stray fireball from the battle flew towards the pair and Sekata blocked Zoe with his body. "Ugh...I'm...OK..."

Zoe helped Sekata to his feet and clutched his claw tightly.

"Sekata...you know I've gained some...other powers when we were brought to this world." Zoe said softly. "You may not know, but I've always been afraid of those powers. Afraid of what I could do wrong, or what could happen. But I've realized that it can't be that way."

"Zoe..."

"I want to learn more about them, more than ever now." She continued, raising the D-Dragon strapped to her left hand. "I'm not afraid, not any more!"

The eyes of the D-Dragon glowed as a multilayered Digicode ring formed around Zoe's right claw. With a roar, she brought the ring closer, running it across the D-Dragon's surface.

"Matrix Evolution!"

* * *

This was the power she'd felt before, back in the Angel's Lands against BlackSeraphimon. It was the power she'd been too afraid to use against Janet's corrupted form of Megidramon.

But now, she could help everyone by flowing 'with' this power instead of against it.

In her mind, Zoe saw the blue energies of dragon spirits surrounding her. Her body structure began to change from an upright to quadrupled form. Even on all fours, she was easily the same height as Sekata in his armored Kaiser Greymon body.

The dragon's body became encased in black armor, with golden points making up the claws and talons. The scales beneath had the same coloring as her lower forms, blue with a white belly. A pair of huge leathery red wings spread out from the back, together with a cannon mounted between them and a helmet coming down over her face.

_I can't describe this feeling...it's just so...amazing! _Zoe told herself.

Letting off a roar, the new dragon stepped up to the front.

"Imperialdramon!"

Daemon didn't seem impressed however, and immediately shot off a fiery blast towards her. Zoe countered it by firing off the Positron Laser, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out in a huge cloud of dust.

"You're as good as you look." Sekata commented, walking up beside her. "Let's take him!"

"RRRrrrr...Yeah!" She responded.

"Sorry about this, but give me a lift!" Sekata leapt onto Zoe's back as she began charging forward.

"Hey! No fair!"

"No time for that! Incoming!" Sekata warned, raising his sword.

Daemon was throwing off individual fireballs, which Sekata deflected with his sword. Infuriated, their opponent let off a bloodcurdling roar and unleashed a column of flames towards them.

Both grunted as they struggled to keep their position and move forward.

"Hang in there! A little more..." Sekata growled, bracing himself in a kneeling position.

"It's not over yet!" Zoe added in.

In the midst of the flames, Zoe pushed herself off the ground and broke into a lighting fast sprint. As they approached their foe, Sekata raised his weapon, its blade gleaming in the flames.

"This is the dragon's fury! Feel it!" Sekata yelled, lashing out with his blade.

The flaming weapon met with Daemon's body in a huge burst of sparks that sent the beast crashing into the remains of his castle.

"Wow...that's cool!" Janet gasped.

"Yeah..." Steve nodded.

"How about we contribute instead of being the cheerleading squad?" Aero grinned. "Come on!"

Junon and Dynamo were standing by the side as the trio rushed off.

"Should we go?" Dynamo asked.

"Hmmm, not yet. Let's watch and see how they handle it." Junon decided. "Just as long as you jabbed Daemon with the needle."

"Right here." Dynamo reached down to the tip of his lance and removed the additional spike he'd attached earlier. The tip was now covered with the red blood of Daemon.

"Good job." Junon nodded as Dynamo carefully slipped the spike into a small glass cylinder and tucked it away beneath his armor.

"Just what is this stuff for anyway?" The black knight queried.

"You'll see, soon enough."

Siavon jumped in just in time to block the flames with his shield.

"Don't get careless, you fools." He snarled.

"Speak for yourself!" Steve called, firing at Daemon from the back. The distraction was enough to make Daemon turn away, allowing Siavon sufficient time to charge up his most powerful attack.

"Gaia Force!"

BOOM!

The explosion was spectacular, but even with all its damage, Daemon was still standing.

"Finish him now!" Siavon ordered, glancing in Sekata and Zoe's direction.

"Together?" Zoe asked.

"Together." Sekata acknowledged, leaping off her back.

Sekata brought up his weapon and started running forward. Zoe meanwhile braced herself with her rear legs and activated the cannon mounted on her back.

"Positron Laser!" Zoe roared, sending the beam off.

As the beam went over his head, Sekata touched it with his sword, giving the weapon a bluish glow. The laser then went on to pound into Daemon, forcing him back as Sekata came towards him.

Growling, Sekata took to the sky, gleaming blade raised, and brought it down...straight into the demon's heart.

Everyone watching was forced to cover their eyes as the blinding explosion took place. But when all present looked up, Sekata was standing there, triumphantly holding his blade over his shoulder.

* * *

"Sekata! You did it man!" Steve cheered, reverting to his original Flamedramon form as he ran over to the exhausted warrior.

Sekata nodded as he too changed back into Vritramon, though that dragon form's armor had been restored. However, he still held on to his sword, the Ryuukonken, which he slotted into a sheath built between the 'wings' section of his armor.

"How about Zoe?"

"I'm here and all right."

Zoe was back as XV-mon, being supported by Janet, as Strikedramon, and Aeromaru. Sekata dashed towards them and took Zoe from the others, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Nice move...back there." She smiled.

"Couldn't have done it without you." Sekata replied.

"Well, we're even then."

"You two were just lucky Daemon was too stunned to cast any more spells when you moved it." Siavon muttered, standing off to the side.

"Way to spoil the mood old man." Steve tapped his side.

"I'm just stating a fact."

"Hey, you're happy we won too right?"

"Did I ever say that?"

"When did you say you didn't?"

"Humph." Siavon cut the argument short by turning away and folding his arms.

"Guys, I just remembered, what happened to the Dragon Artifacts?" Janet suddenly asked.

"Daemon had them when the place collapsed, so perhaps they're..." Aero began.

"Don't bother." A stern female voice called.

The group glanced over to where Junon and Dynamo were standing. At their feet were the remains of the Dragon Shield, broken into at least three pieces, and the Dragon Staff, cleanly snapped in half. The Dragon Dagger and Sword lay nearby, though still in one piece. All four items, however, were still stained with Zoe's blood from earlier.

"The explosion! Damn, they're...broken..." Steve stared.

"And no use to anyone now, I'm afraid." Junon finished.

"Hey Junon, we still could...OW!"

BAM! Junon stomped on Dynamo's toes.

"We will be taking our leave now then." She continued, snatching her damaged helmet off the ground. "I compliment you on a battle well fought, but I shall warn you that we will meet again. And at that time, we may not be on such friendly terms."

"Wait, is that why you talked to me in the Black Market area? Trying to find out about us?" Steve stepped forward. "What's your aim in all this?"

"The Royal Knights of ancient times were a grand order of the most powerful warriors. Our new, reformed order has similar objectives."

"Similar?"

"If she told you that, it wouldn't be any fun, now would it?" Dynamo smirked. Then, he leaned close to Junon's ear. "Hey, what is the big objective anyway?"

WHAM! Dynamo promptly received a kick to his shin.

"Let's go moron. I need to find a place to repair my helmet." Junon ordered, starting to walk away.

"Ow! Jeez, women these days." Dynamo muttered.

Janet was walking up to the black knight, all ready to give him a piece of her mind. However, Dynamo turned towards her and continued in a cheerful voice.

"Well new girl, looks like we may meet again some time. Until then, tootles!"

The Strikedramon just snarled and watched as Dynamo jogged to catch up with his companion.

"Not going after him?" Steve asked.

"Hmmm...I'll let him keep thinking I'm a different dragon." Janet smirked, cracking her knuckles. "And wait for just the right moment. Then...WHAM! Revenge is a dish best served cold, hehehe..."

"You're getting scarier and scarier each day." Steve muttered nervously.

"The Dragon Artifacts..." Zoe knelt over the two broken items. "These were a way for us to go home...and I blew it."

At that, the other three morphs gathered round as well.

"It's not your fault Zoe." Sekata put a claw on her shoulder. "We all had a part in this."

"But what does this leave us at now?" Janet wondered. "Remember Zoe? What Seraphimon told us about the CHAOS? Was this it?"

At that moment, she happened to touch one of the items. A sudden hiss startled the group, everyone taking a couple of steps back at a black cloud arose from the Dragon Artifacts.

* * *

"What the?" Steve gasped.

Fortunately, whatever it was died down just as suddenly as it had appeared. The black cloud sank into the ground and vanished completely.

"Weird..." Janet muttered.

"There was something about also being able to summon forth and evil force from these things right?" Aero piped in. "Because of the blood on them or something."

"Hmmm..." Siavon folded his arms. "Perhaps the legend was true, but because some of the Artifacts were destroyed, so was the summoning effect."

"Then why me?" Zoe looked up. "What do I have that makes me a Holy Dragon?"

"Those said to carry the blood of the Holy Dragon are supposedly the descendents of Pendragon the White Paladin, who was the founder of the original Royal Knights." Aero explained.

"Sounds like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, doesn't it?" Steve commented. "Erm...sorry...I mean, I didn't want to remind everyone of home, but..."

"No, perhaps that's just it." Zoe muttered, taking hold of the Dragon Dagger. "Perhaps..."

Zoe knelt there, eyes closed and holding the dagger.

"Zoe?" Sekata whispered.

"I was just thinking, it may be pretty coincidental." She spoke. "But I remember that my great grandfather on my mother's side was from England."

"How's that supposed to help?"

"Firstly, compare it to what Aero just mentioned. King Arthur's Knights in our world are something like the original Royal Knights here. Then all of us too...we know how to fight, fly, use attacks, everything. We've never learnt to do that. We just did them on thought."

_And for me, I've had issues with a certain ex-Deva named Vija..._

"Wasn't it just instinct?" Steve asked.

"These reactions can come on instinct, but most of the time, we have to train for them." Aero confirmed.

"So, it's like our reality's 'shifted', and we're living the lives we would have if we'd actually been born and bred in this world." Zoe finished. "It's what the Dagger 'told' me. But now its power is fading, like the other Artifacts."

"I'm confused." Steve scratched his head.

"I admit so am I." Janet shook her head. "But one thing I know is, we're back to square one. What do we do from here?"

"How about we get out of this place first?" Sekata suggested.

Though no further words were spoken, the decision was unanimous. The party paused only long enough to gather up the Dragon Artifacts, before beginning the long trek back to the teleport point.

* * *

Three days later, the group had gathered what little they had and made their way to a central train station. Though they hadn't decided on a course of action yet, their purpose for coming here was to see Siavon off.

That was something the old warrior hadn't been too happy about.

_I hate to leave the kids like this, but I'm terrible at goodbyes. _Siavon thought, walking alone along the platform.

He hadn't told them he had a midnight train ticket and had left their motel once everyone was asleep. Siavon was interested in how this party from 'another world' was going to make a living out here, but something told him they'd make it just fine. Meanwhile, he had his own business to run, way back in the undersea city where he'd first met Steve.

_Steve...that hella annoying kid. Still, I..._

"Hey old man, not leaving without saying goodbye are you?"

"Huh?"

"Thought you might run off again. I heard about it from Aero." Steve stepped out of the shadows, grinning.

"Hmuph."

"But really Siavon, I wanted to thank you for all your help." Steve continued. "We wouldn't have made it this far without you. I'm just sorry that, well..."

The Flamedramon pointed towards the single remaining BlackWargreymon claw hanging at Siavon's side. The old warrior stood still for a long time before he finally spoke.

"Those things are replaceable. Friendship isn't." Siavon said softly, holding out a hand, which Steve took in a firm handshake.

"So, guess I'll call sometime." Steve nodded.

Siavon said nothing else as he boarded his train, leaving Steve waving on the platform.

* * *

"So, he left huh?" Janet asked as Steve returned to the group, who'd been waiting outside the train station.

"Yeah. But he's really a nice guy inside, despite the way he acts so gruff and all." Steve replied.

Nearby, Sekata, Zoe and Aero stood discussing their future. However, it so happened that a familiar figure passed by and spotted them.

"Hey wait a minute, it's you guys!" An Airdramon suddenly approached. "You're the ones who saved us!"

"Erm...us?" Zoe asked, confused.

"Come on, you can't possibly forget." The youthful dragon smiled.

"You...you're..." Aero closed his eyes. "Sekata, remember that day I got the two of us caught by, you know...? Remember what we were doing?"

"Oh! It was you wasn't it?" Sekata realized. "The Airdramon we were trying to save!"

"Name's Adrian." He introduced. "Yeah, it was me back there. I'd been through hard times then. Lost all I had, and I just thought leaving society and becoming wild would solve my problems. But I just caused more for you. I'm really glad you're free, and all right."

"It's no fault of yours." Sekata shook his head. "Besides, Zoe took care of that crazy maniac."

"It wasn't much, really." Zoe blushed.

"Yeah, because she did that, Katsu was able to free the rest of us who were petrified. Katsu's what we call the Wormmon now, except he's not a Wormmon anymore." Adrian carried on in an excited tone.

"That's great!" Zoe commented. "How did it go?"

"Most were all right, just in a stat of shock. It took some longer to recover than others, and we used the facilities of the mansion to nurse them back to health. A lot of the others just went on their way once they were back on their own feet, but here's the best thing, a few had no where to go."

"How is that good?"

"Well, the few of us who wanted to stay gathered together, got some outside help, and tore the old mansion down. We build a little place for ourselves, and we're starting a business there. I sorta overhead about you guys needing to make a living, and..."

* * *

"Well, this is it." Adrian gestured. "Like the place?"

A few more hours of journey by Trailmon had brought the party to a wide, three-story building. The place was just a little off a railroad town called Zelta, which was where their Trailmon had dropped them off. Some renovations had apparently been going on in town and a newly constructed concrete path led right up to the building. There were a number of plants being grown around the brown colored building as well.

"Hey!" A figure standing in the door was waving.

That Digimon was a Shadramon, a humanoid, fire-elemental insect type. His armor was of a similar color and design to Flamedramon's, consisting of the mask, gauntlets, thigh and foot armor. He also had a red breastplate covering the black skin beneath.

"Katsu I presume?" Zoe asked. "Wow, you've changed!"

"It's thanks to you that I'm not the little Wormmon getting kicked around anymore." He smiled. "I had everyone's support in getting this place up too."

"Hey, it's the heroes! This is so cool!" Another Digimon stepped out.

The impression one would get of this one was a purple colored Guilmon with fur instead and a pair of wings on his back. He had white paws, feet, and a triangular jewel embedded in his forehead. He was a Dorugamon, a beast-dragon type Champion Digimon.

"And this is Cimons, he's a Dorugamon." Katsu introduced.

"It's just three of us for now, but we're hoping we could work things out." Adrian commented. "We intended to make this into a little trading post, but with you guys, we could extend our services to do some odd jobs as well."

"Odd jobs?" Janet asked.

"You know, they hire guys like us for doing strange thing. Transporting goods, fix a place up, some adventuring in olds ruins, you know, that kind of stuff?" Adrian explained.

"You know..." Steve pulled his party aside. "If we hang out here, there are chances we just might find out about a way to get home. Something's got to come up sooner or later, eh?"

"Well...I guess..." Sekata muttered.

"I'll stick around." Aero added in. "I'm a freelancer after all. I get to do whatever I want to."

"I say we go for it." Janet agreed. "We've got nothing to lose anyway."

"Uh-huh." Zoe turned back to Adrian and company. "All right, we're in."

* * *

Far away, in a hidden base, another exchange was taking place.

"Excellent work, both of you."

Both Junon and Dynamo stood in a dimly-lit office, facing the desk of their boss. Seated in a huge chair, Lucifer had his back turned towards the duo for the moment.

"Always a pleasure to serve you." Junon bowed.

"Oh, Junon, in case you were wondering, I do know your secret."

Junon stepped back in surprise as Dynamo waved his hands.

"Hey, I never said anything to him, just like you asked." The black knight protested.

"I can perform just as well as any male knight." Junon declared, removing her helmet. "No matter what the ancient traditions were."

"Your performance has always been impressive, and it would be such a shame to lose you." Lucifer spoke. "You are welcomed to stay."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Then, you could accommodate our new ally, the Sorceress."

"The Sorceress?" Dynamo wondered.

"Lady Evza." Junon whispered.

"Metallix, allow the Lady to enter." Lucifer pressed a button on his desk and spoke into the receiver.

The office door opened as a tall, metallic Digimon stepped through. He was a MetalGarurumon, though not the normal type in any way. Instead, he stood upright like a werewolf. His main color was blue, with a golden colored chestplate. His body was obviously laden with weaponry which was all currently in their storage positions.

He was followed by another Digimon, Lilithmon. She was best described as a gothic humanoid in a black and purple dress with demon-like wings on her back.

"He's weird." Dynamo muttered, indicating the MetalGarurumon.

"I've heard this is the X-antibody form of MetalGarurumon." Junon replied softly. "This guy was supposedly a treasure hunter who had some accident on his expedition to obtain the antibody. But I don't know much about him, he's pretty new to this group too."

"Ah Lady Evza, this is what you had previously asked for, the blood of Daemon." Lucifer handed over the cylinder Junon and Dynamo had brought him. "I trust that you will fulfill your end of the bargain?"

"Most certainly, Lord Lucifer." Sorceress Evza bowed. "With this, I will finally be able to complete my ultimate creation."

"This Arkadimon (Arukadimon) had best be worth all the funding I put into it."

"You won't be disappointed, Lord Lucifer."

"Very well. You may all leave then."

The foursome bowed and left, closing the door behind them. Lucifer waited until their footsteps had faded away, then got out of his seat and stepped into the light.

Revealing himself as the dark angel, Lucemon Falldown Mode.

"With my old rival Daemon gone at last, things should get very interesting." He said to no one in particular. "Very interesting indeed..."

* * *

**Three weeks later...**

"Gurgh...whew...this is...hard work!" Steve grunted.

"Hey...we never said...this would be...an easy job right?" Cimons replied.

The two had been struggling with a heavy crate for the past few minutes and finally managed to drag it down the hall and into the storeroom.

"Hey wait! Wait!" Adrian flew over to them, holding a notepad with his tail. "That's the wrong crate! It's that one that you were supposed to bring into the storeroom."

"WHAT?" Steve yelled. "And you're telling this now?"

"Erm...sorry..." Adrian muttered. "But it's no biggie, right?"

"After we practically broke our backs on this thing?" Cimons growled. "Grrr...we are gonna throw you into the lake Adrian!"

"Hehe, erm, guys...let's all try to act like reasonable adults here." Adrian backed away, sweatdropping. "And besides...you gotta catch me first!"

Adrian promptly took off, with a Flamedramon and Dorugamon hot on his heels.

Fortunately, that was all in the back of the shop, hidden from where customers were browsing through the goods in front. The entire lower level had been converted into a shop in front, with a storage area at the back.

"Are they fighting again?" Katsu asked from his position behind the counter.

"How typical..." Aero sighed.

"I'll take care of them." Janet smirked, pushing her way through the back door.

Several moments later, there was some loud screams, followed by multiple SPLOOSH sounds. The Strikedramon then came back, dusting her claws.

"I threw all of them into the lake. That should cool them down." She laughed.

"Say, go get Sekata and Zoe, it should be their shift now."

* * *

"Hey there."

"Zoe? Oh I didn't hear you come in." Sekata closed the laptop he'd been typing on and turned to face the XV-mon.

"You've been on that thing a lot." She commented.

"It's a journal of mine." He replied. "I thought it would be nice to take note of everything we've been through since we started this journey."

"Yeah..." Zoe nodded. She paused there, taking the moment to gather up her courage.

Both stared at each other for a while, with an odd silence between them.

"Zoe, I've been meaning to say..."

"Sekata, I've wanted to tell you..."

The two stopped short.

"You first." Zoe insisted.

"No, you go." Sekata took her claws in his own.

"You..." Zoe said, leaning closer.

"Well, I, erm..." Sekata cleared his throat. "I wanted to say that it's really nice I got to know you."

"Me too." She whispered. "It's been more...peaceful recently and..."

Whether it was a conscious decision or not, neither one knew. But both were leaning closer and closer as they spoke. Sekata and Zoe were inches away from being snout to snout when...

"Hey guys!"

"Huh?" The two jumped back, startled.

"Erm, was I interrupting anything?" Janet asked.

"No, erm, we were just talking." Sekata stuttered.

"Yeah, oh it's our shift now, right?" Zoe realized.

"Yes, I came to remind you about it."

"Well, let's go then." Zoe nodded, following Janet down the stairs.

That left Sekata standing alone in the second story room. Or perhaps, not entirely alone in a manner of speaking.

_Lost another chance, didn't you? Aw, I thought it was going to be a happy ending after all. _

Sekata froze. It was a voice he hadn't heard from for more than three weeks now.

"AncientGreymon?"

_You sound so surprised kid. Or have you forgotten already about our little deal? _

_Look down then. _

Sekata turned his eyes towards his D-Dragon. He hadn't noticed before, but there was a different screen flashing on it now. On that screen was a counter, which currently read _6.65._

"Wha..?"

_You'll do well to remember it. It's not exactly a doomsday clock, but at the same time, it's not far from that either. Watch out, 100 percent isn't as far away as you think. _

Sekata just stood there, clenching his fists as he felt the ancient dragon's presence departing. He knew just what his tormentor meant though...that his days were numbered.

"No matter what, you won't take me without a fight!" Sekata growled. "I'll find a way..."


	29. The Thing in the Dark

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Thing in the Dark**

By nightdragon0

"You there? Sekata! Hey!"

WHAM!

"Ouch! What?" The fire dragon growled, removing his headphones and turning his music player's volume down.

Sekata's Vritramon helmet lay at the end of his bed, where Janet had thrown it into his feet.

"Sorry, but that's the only thing that gets your attention when you have the volume up on maximum." Janet the Strikedramon waved. "We need you downstairs pronto. Just got another heavy load in."

"I'll be there in a second." Sekata called.

"Don't take too long." Janet replied as she left.

Sekata turned back to his laptop and typed in the last few lines of his journal entry. Going back to the top of the page, he scanned through his writings one more time.

'_It's been 3 months now since we started this new business, making it a total of 6 months that we've spent here in the Digital World. I really wonder what's been going on back home, but according to Zoe's power of reading the Dragon Dagger, we might not even exist there anymore._

_I shudder at the thought, but perhaps it's better that no one knows we're gone. This is our new home as far as we're concerned. We've all come to accept this, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a way back to our original world._

_And such, we've gotten ourselves into researching old relics and links to the past of the Digital World._

_Nothing much has come up...until now. We've discovered some facts about the warriors who once wielded the Dragon Artifacts. They too were amongst the legends who battled the evil force known only as CHAOS, following after others like Omegamon and the Ancient Legendary Warriors._

_One interesting fact is that the D-Artifact Warriors, as I'll call them, were rivals of none other that the Original Royal Knights._

_That's probably why the new group that call themselves the Royal Knights are sometimes competing and hindering us on our search for the old relics and artifacts. We've run into Dynamo and Junon on several occasions, and I'm sure there are more of them._

_We don't know their true objectives yet, but we're determined not to let them stand in our way...'_

Sekata then closed his laptop and walked down to the ground floor. Steve the Flamedramon happened to be down there moving the boxes and waved.

"Jan's bringing the stuff in through the back, and we just need to move it to the storeroom." Steve explained.

"Well, let's get to it then." Sekata nodded.

It was a simple task for a dragon with Sekata's strength and as they were dragging the last box in, another pair of familiar figures stepped in through the doorway.

"Hey guys!" Zoe the XV-mon waved. "We found another location we could go check when we have the time."

"It's at these old mines here." Aeromaru the Aero V-dramon placed a map down on the counter as Sekata, Zoe and Janet gathered round.

"Isn't this where those new crystals were found?" Janet glanced down. "You know, those that are supposed to be some energy source?"

"Palaside Crystals, yeah."

"Won't that place be full of miners now?" Sekata asked.

"No, we're not going to that part of the mines, but further in." Aero pointed to the markings he'd made on the map. "There's supposed to be a source where all these crystals are coming from and we're going to look for it."

"Well, I suppose I could use some excitement." Sekata stretched his arms. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as Katsu and the others get back to watch the store." Zoe replied.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Zoe walked over to it.

"I'm sorry, we don't open for another hour...hey wait! It's you!"

"Rain?" Aero turned his head.

"Hey guys, long time no see!" The black armored Raindramon grinned. "I got a little time off from the Digimetal Knights and I thought I'd drop by. Is bro...eh I mean Steve here?"

The young Digimon was one of the first the group had met upon entering the Digital World. Steve in particular resembled his deceased older brother and the two had forged a strong friendship before they'd been separated by a huge storm. Raindramon just liked referring to Steve as 'bro'.

Like many Digimon, he'd also picked up a more personalized name, hence 'Rain'.

"Whoa hey there!" Steve, who was in the back room, ran up behind the counter and accidentally bumped into it. "Oops!"

There was a porcelain vase on the table's surface which fell off due to the shaking. Instinctively, Sekata caught the fragile object, but stumbled trying to regain his balance and stomped on Aero's tail. Startled, the blue dragon jumped a step and bumped into a row of shelves...causing a domino 'reaction'.

"Aw crap!" Steve leapt over the counter and pushed a shoulder against the last shelf, preventing the entire row from collapsing.

Everyone else scrambled to reposition the shelves. It was fortunate that the shelves had glass doors, which prevented the items within from falling out.

"Whew, that was crazy." Janet panted.

"What a way to make an entrance." Steve laughed, kneeling down as Rain leapt into his arms.

"Yeah, sorry about that bro." The Raindramon said.

"Oh don't worry about it. I just..."

However, all had failed to notice that the shelf door above Steve's head was coming loose.

"Steve watch out!" The others yelled.

Too late, the shelf door slipped open...dropping a heavy computer monitor onto Steve's head.

WHAM!

* * *

"How is he?" Sekata queried.

"Just out cold, but he should be all right." Janet replied.

The group had gathered in Steve's room, where Janet sat by his bedside. They'd placed an ice pack on Steve's forehead as well. His Flamedramon gauntlets were off and lying on a table in the corner.

"I hope so..." Rain sighed. "This is all my fault."

"No, don't blame yourself." Zoe put a claw on his shoulder.

"He's not going to be able to come with us though." Sekata commented.

"Perhaps you should just head out first." Janet suggested. "I'll stay here and look after him."

"You sure?"

"No problem. Let me know how it goes."

Sekata, Zoe and Aero then nodded to each other before leaving the room.

But someone else had been watching them too. On a hill outside the building, a lone figure stood with a spyglass in hand. He resembled a brown monkey dressed in a Chinese martial arts outfit.

"Hmmm..." The monkey grinned, before dropping out of the tree and out of sight.

* * *

It was half an hour's Trailmon ride plus a while more of hiking, but the trio finally arrived at their destination.

And sure enough, a small miner's encampment had been set up outside. Aero registered his party before heading off down a side path.

"Hmmm...the road less traveled." Sekata muttered.

"He's right, the front is so crowded, but there's no one here." Zoe added in.

"Well, you know what they all say about parts of mines being haunted and all." Aero shrugged. "It's just to discourage trespassers."

As they approached the boarded mine entrance, the group sensed something was wrong. The planks at the upper section of the entrance were much older and worn down, but those at the lower part were relatively new.

"Someone seems to have gone in here recently." Sekata knelt down and pointed to a smudged footprint in the dirt.

"Looks like a poor attempt to cover their tracks too." Aero nodded. "Well, we'll see once we get inside."

The trio tore down the planks and entered the dark mine shaft. The tunnel was well constructed, with firm metal beams supporting the walls and ceiling. There was no lighting and once the group rounded the first corner, they were forced to bring out their flashlights.

In addition to their footsteps, there was a constant dripping sound of water somewhere deep within the mine.

"Check this out." Zoe pointed.

Embedded in a nearby wall were several glittering objects. Zoe reached out and took them in her claws.

"Those are the Palaside Crystals." Aero explained. "Though these are relatively impure. You can tell by the coloring."

"Hmmm...down here. There's some strange green liquid..." Sekata knelt down.

He was pointing to a trail of the liquid, leading deeper into the tunnel. However, a sudden series of clicks caused all three to jump up.

It was like the clicking of claws against the stony wall.

"What was that?" Zoe gasped.

Everyone shone their flashlights around. Although they saw nothing, the source of the sounds kept moving about.

"I don't know, but something's here!" Aero muttered.

Sekata was turning around when he caught a brief glimpse of the creature. It wasn't very large, but it had pale, pinkish skin and a pair of sickles as it arms. He didn't see anymore, because the creature slashed at his face.

Screaming in pain, Sekata stumbled backwards, dropping his flashlight. Before he could even react, Sekata was attacked again, throwing him backwards. The others were shouting something, but the dazed Sekata didn't hear it.

Not only did Sekata feel the ground collapsing beneath him, he also heard the creature coming for him again. In panic, he fired his arm-mounted laser cannons.

The only result of that was causing the roof to cave in on them.

* * *

"Jan! He's waking up!" Rain yelled out the door before running back to Steve's bedside. "Bro! You all right there?"

"Ow...my head hurts..."

"Yeah you did hit it pretty hard bro."

"Steve!" Janet came running into the room.

"Steve?" The Flamedramon looked up. "Who's that?"

Both his friends stared straight at him.

"Hey who are you guys for that matter? And what am I doing here?"

"Steve! It's me Janet! We were from another world remember? And we got thrown in here by accident." Janet knelt down.

"What the hell are you talking about there lady?"

"Oh man..." Janet sighed. "This is really bad..."

* * *

"Ugghh...ow..." Zoe moaned, opening her eyes slowly.

There was a bright light shinning into her face. Zoe started and punched forward.

"Ow! Hey!" Aero's voice cried.

"Aero! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry. But I'll take it that you're all right then."

"I guess." Zoe looked over herself. "I feel rather bruised at some places, but I'm OK."

"That's good at least. But we're in a bit of a tight spot right now."

"Oh yeah, the cave-in. Where are we anyway?"

From the light of Aero's torch, she could see they'd fallen into a large underground chamber. There was a small pond in the center of the circular room and several paths leading off from the main room. Close by was a narrow tunnel, which the two of them had probably slide down earlier. It was blocked up by some debris and didn't look very safe.

"We won't be going back the way we came, that's for sure." Aero muttered.

"Sekata? Where's Sekata?" Zoe realized.

"He's missing too..."

"Grrr...damn!" Zoe shook her fists. "This is going from bad to worse."

Then, the clicking sounds came again, echoing through the corridors. This time, it was nearly impossible to tell which direction it was coming from.

"It's that thing again!" Aero gasped. "We'd better get out of here fast!"

"Let's try this way!" Zoe ran down the nearest tunnel, only to have it lead to a dead end. "Crap!"

"Go back! We'll have to find another path!" Aero grabbed her hand.

With only one light between them, Zoe was could only see where Aero shone it instead of where she would've wanted to. The two splashed through the pond, finding the water surprisingly warm, though neither was in the state of mind to think about it.

The second tunnel they entered ended with a ladder, which Aero practically shoved Zoe up. He shone the light, making sure there was nothing in the tunnel below, and then dashed up the ladder himself.

Aero had his upper body through when he suddenly felt a shearing pain at his legs. Howling in agony, Aero slammed whatever was clinging onto him against the wall. Somehow, his attacker released its hold, allowing Zoe to pull him to safety and slam down a metal covering over the hole.

Both were left panting for the next few minutes before Zoe turned the light towards Aero.

"Ughh...I'm OK." He waved. "Just a scratch..."

"You're bleeding bad." Zoe pointed. "Let me bandage that up."

There were multiple cuts and scratches on the Aero V-dramon's legs, but there was one deep cut on his right thigh that stood out. Zoe had a piece of cloth in her utility belt, which she used to bandage her comrade's wound.

"Thanks." Aero managed a smile.

"No, I should be thanking you for helping me back there." Zoe shook her head. "Guess I panicked a little too much."

"Happens to the best of us..."

BAM! Something was thumping against the metal covering. The creature below made a couple of dents before giving up and scurrying away.

"We've got to find Sekata and get out of here fast." Zoe muttered. "Either that or we'll be facing off against that thing...on its home ground."

* * *

"Thanks." Steve accepted the bottle of water that Rain brought to him.

"No problem bro." The young dragon nodded. "Could I get you anything else?"

"Not really, I'm fine for now." Steve leaned back for a second. "You're my brother aren't you?"

"Huh? I...eh..." Rain staggered.

"You keep calling me that. From the way you're saying it, we must've been very close. Heck, you even look sort of similar to me, I can just feel it."

"Erm...I...well..."

"You guys said I had some accident right?"

"Well yeah, you hit your head a little too hard."

"Ah, I see." Steve continued in a cheerful tone. "So, what was I like, bro?"

"Huh? You were a Digimetal Knight and a great fighter." Rain blurted out. "Err...I mean..."

"Wow, that sounds pretty important. Could you tell me more?"

_Aw no... _Rain thought. _Last time, Steve tried to make me feel better by pretending to be my brother. Now he really thinks he is...and I might be making it worse. Did I want bro to come back this badly? _

"Well, erm, you were a top cadet in military school and..."

_Damn, I don't know what else to tell him! If I hesitate any more, he won't trust us. Looks like I don't have a choice._

* * *

Sekata let off a long groan.

_It hurts...bad... _

He'd been drawn, slowly and painfully, back to consciousness by the sound of dripping water. There was light somewhere high above, but it was dim and far away.

That left him in nearly zero visibility with a great weight on his chest. Sekata felt he was on his back, with the rest of his body pinned down, leaving only his head and neck free.

_The cave-in...oh no... _

It was probably a mixture of the rocky walls and the metal support beams that had come down on top of him. Sekata felt a pole against his elbow joints, hampering whatever little he could move of them.

He could still breathe, though with a little difficulty. His armor had probably kept his chest from being crushed, but that might've left him to a more terrifying fate.

"Zoe! Aero! Anyone?" Sekata's shouts echoed throughout his chamber, but there was no reply.

Drip...Drip...Drip...

The sounds of the water were getting faster and faster. Already Sekata could feel the wet ground beneath his head and...

_No...if water is running into this chamber...it could...fill up! _

And with no way to move, he would drown.

* * *

"Rain! You did what?" Janet practically screamed.

"I'm sorry! But he got it to his head that he was really my brother and I just had to keep talking." Rain said softly.

"You could've waited for me to come back."

"If I did that, then he would've probably lost his trust in us. Steve's already dangling by a narrow line on that aspect."

"Grrr...you may be right, but I don't feel good about it."

The two were at a grassy field outside the store, resting under a tree and wondering what to do. Janet had gone down to look up about Steve's amnesia, but hadn't been able to come up with much.

"You sure it's OK to leave him alone right now?" Rain looked up.

"After what you told him, he's unlikely to go anywhere." Janet replied. "Plus I got a call from Katsu and company. They've been delayed due to some Trailmon accident."

"Speaking about the others, how about Aero, Zoe and Seakta? Didn't they agree to update you on their progress?"

"Yeah, that's true." Janet touched her D-Dragon. "Maybe I should give them the call myse...watch out!"

The Strikedramon jumped and tackled Rain, taking them both out of harm's way as a missile blew up on the spot they'd been sitting on.

"Finally I get my chance to attack!" A werewolf-like figure stepped out of the bushes.

This was a heavily armored MetalGarurumon in his X-antibody form. Covered in blue and golden armor, the cybernetic wolf stood upright with a large cannon at his left arm and a smaller pistol on his right.

"Hey who do you think you are?" Janet demanded.

"Metallix, and I have a score to settle with one of your number!" The wolf hissed. "G-Cross Freezer!"

A section on his chest opened and another missile shot out, forcing Jan and Rain to dive in different directions to avoid the blast.

"Jeez! I don't know what this guy's problem is, but he's not getting away with attacking me!" Janet growled. "Strike Fang!"

Setting her draconic body ablaze with flames, Janet charged and rammed the wolf, throwing him to the side. However, he didn't seem too badly affected and countered, knocking Janet more than twice the distance backwards.

"Thunder Blast!" Rain sent off an electrical burst from his horns.

Metallix raised his weapons and fired, the two attacks colliding in a huge burst of light. When he looked back however, Rain found none other than Steve standing over a fallen Metallix.

"Hey, what are you doing here Steve?" Janet called.

"I'm taking care of business." Steve winked. "Seems you two could use a hand!"

"Gargh! Finally found you!" Metallix rolled to his feet. "You may not remember me directly, but recall the battle you had for the X-antibody back on the mountains about 3 months ago. You beat a couple of treasure hunters to the antibody. And those two persona and what make me up!"

"What's that all about?" Rain whispered.

"Long story..." Janet replied.

"The liquid remains of Death-X Dorugoramon got onto them, fusing them into a more powerful form. And that's me!"

"Hey, I don't know what you're taking about." Steve pointed. "Last time I fought one of your kind was back on those Snowy Hills. But you know what? I kicked butt with my bare claws back then, and I'm gonna do it again!"

"Oh no!" Rain moaned. "Maybe I shouldn't have told him that part."

"Oh yeah? Take that!" Metallix fired his cannon, sending a hail of bullets in Steve's direction.

Steve sprinted, running around Metallix in a circle. Growling angrily, the wolf turned his gun and followed, trying unsuccessfully to hit Steve's fast moving form. The agile dragon suddenly skidded to a halt, snatched a large rock off the floor and executed a high jump over his opponent's head.

As Metallix spun around and pulled the trigger, Steve stuffed the rock into his cannon's mouth.

"Oh crap..." The wolf moaned, sweatdropping.

BOOM! Screaming, Metallix went flying into the sky, disappearing with a twinkle.

Both Janet and Rain were left staring, dumbfounded.

"Man, that was rough, but it worked." Steve breathed, dusting himself off.

"Steve watch out!" Janet warned. "The rock!"

WHAM! The same rock that Steve had stuffed into the cannon came right back down and smacked him on the head.

"Ow..." Steve moaned, before hitting the floor, face first.

"Steve!" His friends ran to his side, shaking the dazed Flamedramon.

"Why in the world did you have to tell him all that stuff?" Janet said angrily. "I know your brother was a great fighter, but he isn't! Jeez, he could've gotten himself killed trying some close to impossible stunt or something!"

"I'm sorry all right? But what would you have done in my position?" Rain protested.

"At least don't get it to his head that's he's a major superhero!"

"Ugh...you...you lied to me?" Steve suddenly sat up. He'd apparently heard what they'd been arguing about.

"No, Steve it's not like..." Janet began.

"Get away from me!" Steve shoved both of them away and took off running.

"Hey wait!"

"RRraaarrgghhh!" Steve released his Knuckle Fire ability, sending off a series of fireballs that knocked Janet and Rain down. That was enough to cover his escape as the Flamedramon disappeared amongst the trees.

"I know how that felt like..." Rain sighed.

"Great, forget about it for now." Janet pulled herself to her feet. "We've got to go after him quickly!"

Close by however, the same monkey Digimon had been watching the entire scene. Grinning to himself, he pulled out a small phone and dialed a number.

"Chatsuramon, I think there's a little job for you."

* * *

"Ouch...damn it! My leg's getting numb." Aero stumbled and Zoe caught his arm.

"Here, I'll support you." Zoe put an arm around his shoulder.

"Wait, I remember I still have the map of the mines." Aero unrolled a scroll from his belt. "If we can figure out where we are, we should be able to find a way out."

"I hope you can find it quickly. I'll help you to the surface, but then I'm going back in for Sekata."

"Hey, I can't...ugh...let you go in by yourself..."

"Trust me, I can handle it."

As the two moved on, the frighteningly familiar clicking sound echoed through the tunnel. That got the two moving even faster until they came to a T-junction.

"To the left." Aero gestured.

The clicking sounds were coming form the right path, and Zoe shone the flashlight down the tunnel just to be sure. From the left however, a pair of glowing red eyes opened. Aero saw it coming only at the last moment and threw himself between the new opponent and Zoe.

"Rraarrghhh!"

The Digimon that attacked took the form of a gigantic white cobra with purple and gold colorings on its crest. The serpent, known as Santiramon (Sandiramon, the snake Deva), sank his fangs into Aero's side.

"NO!" Zoe jumped to the side and slashed at the serpent's face.

Santiramon immediately let go of Aero and turned its focus towards Zoe, lashing out with his tongue. Zoe dodged several times before sending an X-laser attack right into his face.

"Krishna!" Santiramon launched a spear from his mouth, which Zoe barely managed to dodge.

"Hargh!" Aero came up to his side and jabbed the snake with his claws.

"X-laser!" Zoe pounded Santiramon as soon as he was distracted, forcing him back.

Moments later, the serpent began screeching in pain. The sickle-armed demon, the same one had been stalking them through the tunnels, had suddenly leapt out and attacked Santiramon.

"What the...?" Aeromaru stared.

"Let's get out of here now!" Zoe ordered.

The two sprinted down the way they'd originally come without looking back. Behind them were the screams and screeches of the battle, which were soon followed by the death throes of Santiramon.

* * *

The scene back at the mining encampment on ground level was pretty chaotic. There had been a cave-in at the inner section of the mines and the miners had gathered to look for anyone trapped inside.

There was a tent in an isolated corner however, where a dark, gothic humanoid sat calmly.

"My newest creation is turning out very well indeed." The Sorceress Evza looked into her crystal ball. "The raw form of the recently discovered Palaside Crystals provides a perfect source of nourishment for the growing Arkadimon. Though he may only be at his Rookie Stage right now, his hunting powers are immense."

"Indeed..." A rough, though feminine voice, came from the side.

"Too bad I can't control what he hunts once he's out there, otherwise the Snake Deva might not have met his end." Evza waved her hands.

"They are our enemies, are they not?"

"In a sense, though they are of no threat to us. What matters is that they are not very happy with the 'Chosen', as Lucifer calls them. And if they get in our way, well, it's just misfortune."

"Grrrr..."

"Ah yes my child, I know you wish to join in the hunt." Evza petted the muzzle of her companion. "You too are one of mine, so Arkadimon will not attack you. Feel free to do as you wish Zelia."

"By your command, mistress." Zelia stepped out of the shadows with a soft growl.

She was a dinosaur Digimon that greatly resembled a Velociraptor. The dinosaur's body had been cybernetically enhanced, with silver armor covering the head, arms, thighs, body and even creating a pair of wings. Armored sections around the belly were blue in color, while the raptor's orange scales could be seen at the neck and lower legs.

The Raptordramon lowered her body and raced out of the tent.

* * *

"Arghh...damn, my head..." He moaned. "Why...why can't I remember?"

After running blindly through the forest, Steve had somehow ended up by a large lake. Staring down at his own reflection in the water, the Flamedramon just couldn't find anything familiar and slammed his fist on the surface in frustration.

"You seem lost boy. Perhaps I could help."

Steve whirled around to find a dog-like Digimon standing behind him. He was equipped with light blue armor all over his body, leaving just his head exposed. There was also a purple scarf tied around his neck.

"Who..."

"I am Chatsuramon." The dog bowed. "I can tell from your face boy. You feel angry, betrayed..."

"Yeah, well..." Steve muttered. "How would you know?"

"I can sense these things." Chatsuramon smiled. "Here, take this."

Chatsuramon produced a strange, glowing object. It seemed very much like a trophy, consisting of a blue sphere at the top being held by a silver colored stand.

"What is it?"

"The Digimetal of Darkness. You should be very familiar with this."

"Should I?"

"Touch it and you will know."

"Steve!" Janet came running onto the scene.

"Watch out!" Rain was beside her. "That dog is part of the Deva Assassins! And they're bad news! Don't listen to him!"

"I told you to leave me alone!" Steve yelled angrily. "Knuckle Fire!"

"Gargh!" Janet held her arms up to block out the flames. "Steve, I know you didn't really mean that. I'm your friend, remember? I just want to help."

The Flamedramon charged forward and slashed at Janet, causing her to fall backwards.

"Ugh...I'm not going to fight you Steve." Janet insisted.

"In that case, I'll be the one to do it!" Chatsuramon sprang forward. "Shuvaboshana!"

Chatsuramon transformed into a giant mallet, which swung itself at Janet. With a roar of pain, the Strikedramon went flying. Upon hitting the ground, Janet was suddenly lifted up and entangled by coils of yellow energy, which formed a circle around her, restraining her arms, legs and tail.

"Hey, what the? RRarrghhh!" Janet screamed, feeling the electrical shock of the trap.

"Jan!" Rain took several steps towards her and stepped into a similar trap, another circle of yellow energy, wrapping around and immobilizing him. "Gargh! Arghh! Heeyy!"

"Those are Spellbinding Circles, and they certainly do their job well, even on other Digimon." Chatsuramon gestured. "So, as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, please take this."

"Hmmm..." Steve said softly.

"No! Steve, don't! Gargh!" Janet managed.

"I'm sorry about lying to you Steve!" Rain yelled. "But remember what's around your neck! Remember you told me 'brothers at heart'? I've always...urrghhh...held to...that!"

_Brothers at heart...? It sounds...familiar...but why? _Steve thought. Reaching up, he felt the choker around his neck and the keychain shaped like the Crest of Courage hanging from it.

"Ignore them. Just take this here and all your doubts will be answered." Chatsuramon held out the glowing Digimetal.

"Just what is that thing?" Janet asked. "Another Digimetal?"

"No, it may have a similar name to the others, but it's really just an energy source." Rain grunted. "A dark energy source!"

"Steve! Please listen to us!" Janet called again.

Unfortunately, Steve had his eyes closed and was lifting up his hand.

"Yes, that's right." Chatsuramon pushed the Digimetal of Darkness into Steve's palm.

His friends stared in horror as Steve closed his fingers around the Digimetal...and shoved it right back into Chatsuramon's face. The orb at the top shattered, spraying Chatsuramon with a thick, black liquid.

As the dog jumped back screaming, his Spellbinding Circle spell faded, releasing Janet and Rain.

"Steve?" Janet gasped. "You remembered?"

"Sort of." Steve nodded. "Hey Rain, brothers at heart, right? I remembered that too."

"Yeah, great going bro!" The young Raindramon cheered.

"Let's take him first!" Steve growled, leaping into the sky. "Fire Rocket!"

"Thunder Blast!"

The two attacks converged, creating a loud explosion. Chatsuramon was thrown onto his side, howling in pain.

"Grrr...you fools...! But I won't go down...alone!" The black liquid was spreading all over his body, hissing sounds emitting as it melted his armor. "Shuvaboshana!"

"Watch out!" Steve shoved Janet out of the way as Chatsuramon changed into his hammer form and attacked.

WHAM! Steve took a hit on, where else, but his head.

"No, damn you!" Janet drew back, getting into a sprinting position. "Strike Fang!"

Setting her body ablaze with flames, Janet charged into the transformed Chatsuramon. Her opponent's body caught fire from her flames and exploded in a huge burst of sparks.

"Humph." Janet rolled away from the blast, unscratched. "That takes care of him. Hey Steve! Steve?"

"Bro!" Rain ran over to the unconscious Flamedramon's side.

It took a while of shaking and shouting before Steve finally opened his eyes.

"Urghh...ow...my head..."

"Steve! That's your name, you remember right?" Janet grabbed his shoulders. "I'm Janet remember? And we..."

"Hey, hey, calm down." Steve waved his claws. "I'm me all right. I really remember this time."

"Really?"

"Hey, you really do care about me Jan." Steve grinned.

"You? Humph!" Janet dropped him and folded her arms. "You're part of this team and I need to watch out for you. That's all! And just don't hit your head too many times again!"

"Heh, maybe that's what triggered my little memory loss. Luckily I have a thick skull."

"A thick head is more like it!" Janet fumed.

"Ohh, touché."

"Erm..." Rain started.

"I know..." Steve put a claw on his companion's shoulder. "No hard feelings. Guess I sorta deserved it for the previous time with you."

"Well, we're even now bro."

"But you know..." Steve pulled on his choker. "I did like being your brother."

* * *

"Garghhh...damn it!" Sekata cried.

Some more cracks had appeared, causing the water to seep into the area even faster. That had been followed by shaking and the sounds of explosions from somewhere in the distance.

Desperately, Sekata wiggled his neck even more. It was then that he felt his horns strike something.

_That sounded like a hollow object, a pipe or something. Wait perhaps I could... _

Sekata craned his neck as much as he could and felt the object close by. Muddy water was already flowing in and Sekata had no choice but to use his tongue to try and move the object towards him.

The taste of the water was utterly disgusting, but Sekata kept as it. Slowly he managed to get the tip of his tongue around the object and pulled it back to his jaws. Sekata was relieved to find that it was a fairly long hollow pipe, which he was able to breathe through.

Sekata carefully lifted the pipe up in his jaws and rested it against the rocks that were pinning him down. The water seemed to be rising faster and in a few minutes, would cover his entire face.

The trapped dragon could only lie back, hope and pray...


	30. AlForce One

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**AlForce** **One**

By nightdragon0

As the water rose above his face level, Sekata was unfortunately not able to see that he wasn't alone. He was actually being watched from the platform above by a pair of sharp dinosaur eyes.

Zelia eyed him through her built-in night vision, watching her struggling prey carefully. Her prey...yes that was what her instincts told her. And the Raptordramon silently climbed down the ledge, pausing at a point just above the water level.

The makeshift breathing pipe was literally at her claw-tips, and one motion would knock it away. Zelia raised a claw and swung it, but found herself stopping just before she could touch it.

_Why?_ She wondered. _He's here...helpless before me. Why? _

Her claws were actually trembling as Zelia glanced down. She just couldn't bring her claws forward for some strange reason, and her mind raced to find an explanation.

_No... _Zelia tried to convince herself. _I want my enemies to fight. I want to beat them down before I tear them apart! _

Suddenly, several footsteps came from another direction. Zelia glanced around in panic, and then quickly retreated to the shadows in the darker part of the area.

"Sekata!" Zoe yelled, shinning her torchlight around. "Are you here? Sekata?"

"You think he's here?" Aero asked her. The Aero V-dramon was lagging behind, leaning against the wall for support.

"I'm sure...I can feel him." Zoe turned the light forward. "Whoa!"

The two had arrived at a ledge that dropped off into a pit, which was rapidly filling up with water. They were on the opposite from where Zelia was hiding, watching them from the darkness.

Zoe shone her light down and realized just where Sekata was.

"Oh no! He's trapped down there!" She gasped.

Then was a sudden thud as Aero collapsed behind her. Zoe ran over to his side, shaking him.

"Ugh...I'll be Ok." He growled. "Just feel...rather dizzy. Go...help Sekata out..."

"I promise this won't take too long."

Zoe jumped down, landing in the knee-deep water with a splash. She found his makeshift breathing pipe and dropped to her knees, feeling his head beneath the water.

"Sekata, it's me." She called. "I'll get you out, hang tight."

She felt the part of the rubble that was pinning Sekata's chest down and begun digging away at it, hoping to break the rocky debris apart. Sekata too heard as much as felt his friend's presence nearby and did his best to shove against the rubble.

Zelia had her night vision on the entire time, a spectator to the scene of Zoe and Sekata struggling for their lives. However, this confused her too, for she felt something so similar had happened to her before.

Then, she blinked and suddenly saw another scene unfolding in front of her.

* * *

**Flashback... **

In her mind, Zelia was viewing a scene of herself, running in a dark mine, from a first person perspective.

There was many other shadows running about, representing other Digimon she didn't recognize. A loud explosion suddenly rocked the area, throwing her to the ground. She tasted blood in her mouth as she dropped, but quickly scrambled to her feet and continued running.

However, there was a howl of pain to the left side. A blue scaled dragon, V-dramon, had been trapped beneath some fallen rubble. It was exactly like the way Sekata was trapped, with the debris landing on top of his chest and pinning him down.

Zelia saw herself immediately turn and try to help the fallen dragon out by clawing away at the rocky debris. But a sudden series of clicks caused her to look up, straight at some more shadowy figures that fired their guns at her.

She vision blacked out for a long while.

The next thing she found was that she was floating in some strange green liquid. As Zelia struggled, she felt constrained, glass sealing her in. She didn't like it at all and banged against the glass repeatedly.

Finally, the glass shattered, and the green liquid spilled out. She was finally free and jumped out onto the ground of a large laboratory. She felt new emotions...a rage...a fury.

But before her stood the mistress, Evza, who raised a hand.

_Yes...I must obey. _Zelia thought. _I was created to serve and programmed to obey... _

Zelia bowed low, and Evza carelessly stroke the top of her head. There was a piece of broken glass on the floor nearby and in it, Zelia saw her reflection.

Her Raptordramon reflection...

* * *

"Gargh!!" Jumping back to the current time, Zelia clutched her head in confusion.

_I must obey. _Zelia repeated to herself. _I was created to serve and programmed to obey. But why? What's wrong with me? _

However, Zelia turned and glanced at the scene of Zoe struggling to free Sekata. And something just made her go running forward.

"Huh? Who...?!" Zoe gasped.

"Zelia. I'm here to help." The dinosaur replied. "Hurry, we'll get your friend out."

"Thank you."

The two began digging with renewed vigor. Slowly, the rocks were moved away and Sekata was allowed more mobility. Crunching of the rocks were heard as Sekata started pushing his way through.

"Grrr...come on!" Zoe muttered in panic.

"It will take too long to clear out the rubble." Zelia told her. "We'll need to loosen the rocks just enough to pull him out."

"Yeah, good idea." Zoe nodded.

"All right, pull on my mark. 1...2...3!"

Zelia got her claws beneath the bulk of the debris and shoved upwards. At the same time Zoe grabbed onto Sekata's body and pulled as hard as she could. Sekata too, sensed this and worked to free himself.

It was several tense seconds of struggling, but in a spray of water, Sekata finally got himself free. Coughing and choking, he was helped to his feet by Zoe.

"Sekata!"

"Rarghh! Garghh!" He spluttered. "Zoe...thanks..."

"Hey, anytime." She laughed. "I had some help from...huh?!"

In the moment Zoe had turned her head away, Zelia had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

"I don't see anyone else."

"But she was right here." Zoe insisted. "Wait, Aero needs some help too!"

The pair climbed up the ledge to where Aero was waiting.

"Hey man..." The blue dragon waved. "You're all wet..."

"You don't look too good yourself." Sekata spoke, shouldering his companion. "We'd better get out of here Zoe."

"Uh huh, but..." Zoe shone the light around, looking for any traces of Zelia. "Yeah, you're right. We'd better go."

Zelia watched the group departing from her hidden spot, a concealed shaft on the ceiling. She knew however, that a rescue team was approaching their position. Zoe and her comrades would definitely be found.

As for herself, she had to leave too. But things just didn't fit in her mind. Her mission had been a failure, but why? Just why did she feel otherwise?

* * *

That feeling kept coming back even as Zelia returned to her mistress.

There she was ordered to return to her resting pod, which was pretty much like a white rectangular box. The inside of her pod was cold, but it was familiar to Zelia as she curled up inside of it.

_What were those memories? Were they really mine? _She wondered.

Still, she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

"My first creation." Evza stood there, drawing a hand over Zelia's pod. "Good, but still flawed. On the other hand..."

The sorceress turned and moved towards a larger pod. Within it was Arkadimon, the same creature that had been stalking Zoe and the others in the mines. Its feeding and development was done for this stage, and it was time to move on to another location. One with a stronger energy source to fuel its gradual transformation.

Evza watched in delight as her newest creation begun squirming, and then evolving.

* * *

**Two days later... **

The mines had been temporarily closed after the disaster and the wounded were all brought to a nearby medical center. Sekata and Zoe stayed there with Aero, keeping in touch with their friends back at base.

All seemed fine at first, but then Aero's condition started deteriorating. He was currently undergoing a more intense scan while Sekata and Zoe waited outside.

The hospital area was similar to the one he'd been in before, and that brought back several bad memories as Sekata paced around. Zoe was sitting quietly nearby and looked up as a door opened.

"How is he doing?" Zoe asked the Swanmon nurse.

"His condition is stable for now." The Swanmon reported. "However, it seems he's suffering from a rare form of Palaside poisoning."

"I'm all right I tell you." Aero came lumbering out of the examination room. "The drugs all helped and...ugh..."

"Hey careful!" Sekata caught Aero's arm as his friend stumbled.

"The liquid form of Palaside crystals can be toxic to most Digimon, and he seems to suffer from the worst of it." The nurse explained. "These crystals are still fairly new, but there have been antidotes made from Jirnn crystals. And our supplier has unfortunately been delayed."

"Hmmm...those are from mines further up north from where we were." Aero noted.

"We could always go get the crystals ourselves." Zoe decided. "That would help, right?"

"Of course. They're a whitish crystal formation and are the only ones that form in those mines." The Swanmon nodded. "We'll be easily able to produce the antidote here if you can bring back a sample."

"Right, let's go then." Aero pulled himself up.

"Oh no, you're staying here." Zoe shoved him into the seat.

"Yeah, we can handle this." Sekata assured. "We'll send a message to the other back at base and let them know too."

* * *

"See ya soon!" Rain called.

"Thanks for dropping by!" Steve called from the station's platform.

The young knight wanted to do a little more traveling before getting back to his duties, and Steve was seeing him off. Janet was there too, waving as the Trailmon begun to move out.

Rain had his paws on the ledge and was sticking his head out the window. Not exactly a good idea because when the vehicle started moving, he smacked the back of his head on a signpost.

Steve and Janet cringed as the Raindramon dropped back, groaning.

"Ow! Hey chill! I'm Ok!" Rain smiled.

The rest of his shouting was drowned out by the chugging sounds of the Trailmon moving out of the station.

"Yeah, he learnt that from the best after all." Janet commented.

"Yeah, so true." Steve stopped. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh nothing." Janet began walking away when her D-Dragon beeped. "Hmmm?"

"Sekata and the others?" Steve jogged to her side.

"Yeah." Janet brought up the message on her Digivice's screen. "Seems they need some help from us."

* * *

"This should be the one." Sekata gestured as Zoe and himself landed on the mountainside.

The scene around was that of a desolate wasteland with few plants and mostly rocky ground around. This area had been heavily mined of its best resources in the recent years, leaving little of commercial value.

Fortunately, the mining tunnels were still intact, and the pair found themselves faced with the choice of entering from several directions. It had been a tiring flight and the two took a moment to rest and consider their options.

"Which one do we try?" Zoe wondered. "They didn't tell us that there would be so many entrances."

"Try the one on the upper left." A voice told them.

"Huh?! Aero?!" Sekata gasped.

"Hi guys, I happened to know a shortcut here." Aeromaru appeared on a ledge above them. "Come on, this antidote is for me after all. As long as I'm able to, I want to do as much of it as I can for myself."

"You..." Zoe sighed.

"Well, it runs in our group to be really stubborn." Sekata remarked. "Let's go then. I suppose Aero isn't going to be turned away."

"Hell no." Aero laughed as he led the group into one of the entrances.

It was a long path down the mining tunnel before the party stepped into a larger chamber. Everyone stared as the place seemed to be the remains of some old temple. Parts of the stone walls were still standing, though the bricks were old and worn down with time.

"All this...within a mining tunnel?" Zoe wondered.

"The underground temple was here first actually." Aero explained. "Just that there were resources, so the mining came after that."

"Makes sense I guess." Sekata muttered, running his claws over the walls.

Aero came up beside him and dusted off a stone table embedded into the wall. The square tablet had been broken in half, but the part that was still intact had the carving of a dragonoid figure on it. This figure was an armored knight who stood upright, but had the wings, head and tail of a dragon.

The most distinctive feature however, was the carving's V-shaped horns and the 'V' decorating his chestplate. Aero just stood that, transfixed, before Zoe called him over.

"Are these the crystals?" She asked, pointing.

There were small bits of glittering white crystals on the ground, indicating that they were on the right track.

* * *

Zelia lay hidden on a higher section of the ruins, poised to strike. A single lever stood nearby, and she had orders to activate it when the group came in. They were there now and almost in place.

_I won't fail this time. _Zelia told herself.

(I know that you won't fail.) Evza sent her a telepathic message. (Be alert now, they are almost in position.)

"Yes, mistress." The Raptordramon hissed.

She allowed the group to move forward some more and then activated the lever. The clicking noises that echoed throughout the room alerted the group below to the danger. Sections on the walls opened sent spears firing out.

"Watch out!" Sekata dashed forward and tackled Zoe, taking her out of harm's way.

"Whoa! Gargh!" Aero backed against the mural he'd been looking at in panic. Turned out there was a hidden room behind the wall as its 'revolving door' spun around and sent him sliding down a sloping tunnel.

"Aero!" Zoe shouted.

"This way!" Sekata grabbed her arm and dragged her through another moving wall. That brought them into another room where they ducked into a corner. "You all right?"

"Yeah, fine." She panted.

"Do you bunch always trigger the old traps whenever you go looking for relics?" The mocking, feminine voice of Junon taunted.

"She always has to be so direct." Dynamo added in.

"Hey you're not better Dynamo!" Zoe pointed. "You trigger traps just as often as we do!"

"Erm...heheh...I just trigger them so that we don't have to deal with them later, see?" Dynamo scratched his head.

"I'll give him credit for finding ways to cover up his embarrassment." Sekata shrugged.

"Hey! Are you insulting me?!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Oh, enough of all that." Junon snapped. "It seems we're clashing over the usual stuff. Well, these mines are our territory and we won't allow you to search for any relics here."

"We're not here for relics this time..." Zoe began.

"Grrr...so you want to lose again?!" Sekata cut in. "Then come on and fight! Corona Blaster!"

The Vritramon unleashed a spray of energy bolts from his arm-mounted blasters, forcing Junon and Dynamo to dodge. He then followed up with a charging maneuver, smashing into his opponents.

"Oh well, here we go again." Zoe muttered as she joined in the melee.

_Hmmm...shall I go to the aid of our allies? _Zelia wondered, watching the battle from the ledge above.

(No don't concern yourselves with these two.) Evza instructed. (Go and watch the other dragon. Arkadimon is busy feeding at this point and I'd rather not have the dragon discover the true secret of this temple.)

"As you command then."

* * *

"Argh! Ow! Oof!" Aero landed on the floor with a thud. "Darn, I hate it when that happens."

Pulling himself up, Aero glanced around the area. He'd fallen into a narrow corridor that was lit by rows of flaming torches. It was odd, because if no one had been in these tunnels for years, the flames would surely have died out.

Curiously, Aero followed the tunnel down and came to a large mural at the end. Depicted on it was the image of the same dragon knight he'd seen on the earlier carvings. Only this one was more complete and showed the knight in battle with a large, winged demonic beast.

"This looks like the true form of Daemon that we fought before." Aero whispered.

The carving of the demon however, seemed to be much larger and stood fully upright. Aero shuddered, wondering about whom the figures represented. As Aero touched the mural, he began to feel some strange emotions.

_AlForce Saber!_

"Huh?!" Aero stepped back. "I thought I heard a voice."

The blue dragon put his claw to the mural and continued to focus. He felt as if he were the one fighting there, bracing against a powerful blast as he countered. It was just difficult to describe, as if someone's memories had suddenly been thrust into his mind.

Aero reeled back in surprise and suddenly realized he wasn't alone. Zelia the Raptordramon was sneaking up behind him. When she saw that Aero had detected her presence, Zelia lunged for him.

The blue dragon lashed out with his fist, knocking Zelia's jaws away. Zelia rebounded against the wall and came back, slamming into Aero and knocking him onto his back. Aero was strong however, and heaved up, throwing his opponent off.

He then shoved forward, grabbing Zelia by the jaws. Zelia growled in frustration and lowered her body. Springing off the ground, she pushed against Aero, ramming him into the mural.

It was an odd combination of the forces present there, but it so happened that both were wrapped around each other as they touched the mural. Aero saw into his foe's memories for a brief moment, and witnessed brief flashes of Zelia being carried away.

He saw her being placed into a strange machine that was filled with green liquid. The vision jumped to her trashing about in pain, and then curling up inside an ice-filled pod to rest.

Zelia seemed to have had a similar experience and was still recovering from the shock when Aero pinned her down, stomach against the ground. Snarling, she struggled in vain as Aero held her jaws down, with his body weight effectively preventing her from moving.

* * *

"Hargh!"

"Rargh!!" Sekata grunted as he grabbed onto Dynamo's lance. After struggling for a while, Sekata whirled to the side and punched Dynamo in the face, sending the black knight rolling backwards.

"Desperado Blaster!" Zoe, in Paildramon form, sent off a spray of blue bolts.

"Spiral Masquerade!" Junon lashed out with the four ribbon-like blades on her body and blocked out the shots.

The two female fighters landed, facing each other and growling.

Suddenly, a new hissing noise caused everyone to stop and look up. The creature known as Arkadimon (in Champion form) stepped onto the scene.

It was a tall, thin demon with an orange hue and long thin arms and legs. It had 'reversed knees' and was partially covered with metal armor. The tail was red and whip-like, and there were a pair of small wings on its back.

The head was elongated with a pair of long eyes and a red 'slit' on the forehead. It also had some blackish hair sprouting from its head and long sharp claws on its fingers and toes.

"Wait a second...that's the sorceress' experiment right?!" Dynamo gasped. "The Arkadimon thing."

"Arkadimon..." Sekata stared. "It's in its Champion form here."

"I really don't like the looks of this thing." Zoe whispered to him.

"What's it doing here?" Junon wondered. "Evza was supposed to be busy at the other mine with this creature."

"You two know something about it?!" Sekata demanded.

"Yeah, and I don't want to stick around to find out more!" Dynamo got up and sprinted out of the room. "I'm outta here!"

"Grr...you idiot." Junon muttered. Then she turned and pointed towards Sekata as she retreated. "We'll finish this another time!"

The remaining duo stood staring as Arkadimon scooped up a handful of crystals from the floor and devoured them. It then turned towards the two with an angry look on its face.

"It's just a Champion right?" Zoe asked.

"All the stories about Arkadimon from our world had it a lot more powerful than it seemed." Sekata replied. "We'd best not underestimate it."

At that moment, Arkadimon brought up its arms and lashed out with a rapid series of tentacle strikes from its claws. This was its Snatch Whip ability and it sent Sekata and Zoe flying into the wall.

"Rrrrr... Corona Blaster!!" Sekata fired his weapons, which Arkadimon dodged by leaping onto the ceiling. "Gargh!!"

Arkadimon lunged forward and slashed, leaving Sekata with a long scratch across his right shoulder pad.

"We'll have to bring out our more powerful forms." He muttered. "But we'll also need the space to fight."

"Leave that to me." Zoe pointed her eyes upwards.

Nodding, the two backed away as Arkadimon approached. Then, both raised their blasters to the sky and fired.

* * *

"You...you were the one who helped Zoe earlier." Aero stared.

"Grrr...that was a mistake! I was supposed to destroy them instead!" Zelia hissed. "I am programmed to serve! I...must...obey...!"

Zelia's struggling became more intense and Aero had to use all of his strength to hold her down.

"And were those your memories I just saw?"

"I have none...I am...I am..."

"You're what?"

"I...I don't...know anymore." Zelia suddenly calmed down. "Those memories...I'm so confused..."

"I know how you feel." Aero said softly. "Just try to calm down."

"How?! Why should I?! You are real! I'm an artificial creation, am I?!" Zelia roared. "And I have to follow my programming!"

She was in quite a state of confusion, and Aero had to think for a while before he could come up with a good reply.

"I was referring to your state of distress." Aero replied. "Then, was it you who attacked us in the mines as well?"

"No that was Arkadimon. That mindless creature, programmed only to fight. Just like...just like..." Zelia's eyes widened. "It's just like me! No! I'm...am...I...no different from that thing?! Wha...what's wrong with my eyes?!"

"You're crying, that's all." Aero wiped a tear from her eye. "I don't know, because I saw some pretty strange things in your memories, most of which I don't understand. But I'll tell you this, no matter what happened in the past, you're here having this conversation with me now. And you can definitely think on your own."

"I don't want to fight you, but I will if you persist in attacking." Aero slowly let go of Zelia's neck and backed away.

Zelia lay there for a while before turning to face Aero.

"I choose not to fight you either." She said softly. "I...I saw something in your memories too. You had a friend, someone called Alicia. And you blame her death on yourself..."

"That...was a painful time in my life."

"How...how do you know that it's all real? All the memories?"

"Huh? I...I just know, that's all." Aero scratched his head. "I've been through all those times, and I remember them. That's what memories are all about."

"Do I...do I have them too? Real ones?" Zelia spoke out loud.

Aero was silent for a long while before he managed to come up with an answer.

"I don't know anything about you, but I will say that you should go with what you feel."

"Your reply is...hypothetical."

"Well...ugh..." Aero clutched his wounded leg, which he'd apparently forgotten all about. "Damn...the poisoning..."

"Hmmm..." Zelia leaned closer and sniffed at Aero's bandaged right thigh.

She then reached out with her claws and snipped the bandage off, causing Aero to cry out in alarm. The wound beneath had clotted, but a green pus was visible on the surface.

"Palaside has poisoned your system." Zelia noted. "I will search my database for a remedy."

Aero watched her with interest as she closed her eyes for a while. Zelia then nodded to herself and walked over to the wall, where she started scraping with her claws. She quickly broke through the rocks and collected a handful of the white Jirnn crystals that were hidden beneath.

A section on the Raptordramon's chest opened and Zelia slipped the crystals inside. Zelia's eyes flashed white for a few minutes as she stood still, giving off an odd humming noise. Before long, she produced a small tube filled with a white liquid from that same chest compartment.

"This is for you." Zelia held out the tube.

"Erm, thanks." Aero managed, though a little stunned. He was weary of this strange dinosaur whom he'd only just met, but something about the look in her eyes told him to trust her.

A needle emerged from the tube and Aero injected the contents into his injured leg. He watched in surprise as the pus dried up into scab and fell off, leaving a barely visible scar beneath.

"Wow, it feels so much better too." He smiled.

"My system allows me to create poisonous darts from various organic matter." Zelia told him. "However, it can also be applied to medical remedies."

The area suddenly shook, sending small chips of stone falling from the ceiling.

"What was that?!" Aero gasped.

"Arkadimon..." Zelia replied.

"The others." Aero pulled himself up. "I've got to help them. Just remember what I said."

Zelia watched as Aero ran off, and shook her head. Her mistress had insisted that these were her enemies, but once again, something had stopped her from carrying out her orders.

Was it these emotions? These 'memories'? Or perhaps, it was just because she wanted to...

* * *

"Hyper Spirit Evolution... Kaiser Greymon!"

"Matrix Evolution... Imperialdramon!"

Both of the pair's evolution sequences completed as the stone roof of the temple came crashing down. Zoe spread the wings of her larger dragon form and used them to shield Sekata.

"Thanks!" Sekata breathed as they moved out of the temple ruins and into the central chamber

"Do you think we got him?" Zoe asked.

Suddenly, pieces of rocks flew up as a loud roar sounded from beneath the rubble. Arkadimon had reappeared in a new form.

This time the demon was far bulkier and stood upright, encased in armor. Its head and body were green in color, with its collar armor being yellow and its huge claws orange. The head appeared similarly to before, with an elongated reptilian shaped and red hair sprouting from behind. Finally, the wings were larger now with yellow and red feathery patterns.

"It's gone to the next level, Ultimate form!" Sekata realized.

Arkadimon attacked with an upgraded version of the tentacle lashing it had given them earlier, the 'Freeze Tentacle'. Sekata was quick enough to bring his sword up and block the tentacles that emerged from Arkadimon's claws. Zoe's armor however, took a beating.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" A Flamedramon suddenly jumped onto Arkadimon's back, covering its face with his claws. "How you guys doing? We got your message and came as quickly as we could!"

"Steve!" Sekata yelled. "Be careful!"

"Whoa! Go now Jan!" Steve leapt off as a Cyberdramon flew onto the scene.

"Erase Claw!" Janet roared, firing off a blue energy burst at Arkadimon's back.

"Hargh!!" Sekata charged in, using a sword combo attack that ended with a flaming shoulder tackle.

"Positron Laser!" Zoe finished it off by hitting the demon with her laser cannon.

Arkadimon flew back and smashed into another small structure, taking it down as it fell. The group of four broke out in cheers, but those were short-lived as Arkadimon rose from the rubble.

"Crap, it's still standing?!" Steve growled.

This time however, a section of Arkadimon's chest opened and begun glowing. It was preparing for its ultimate attack, Dot Matrix.

"Shoot it now!" Sekata ordered.

Zoe, Steve and Janet all launched their projectile attacks, but Arkadimon jumped into the air to avoid it. The demon sent out a white shockwave knocked the trio out.

"No!" Sekata cried, leaping forward as Arkadimon attacked again. He took the bulk of the shockwaves this time, and was attacked several times before he finally collapsed.

* * *

"Oh no!" Aero stared, emerging from the lower passageway. Arkadimon had just taken Sekata down as well, and was standing triumphantly over their group.

"Wait, you can't go out there." Zelia said, running up to him.

"My friends are in trouble..."

"Arkadimon has just finished feeding on the crystals and is powered-up because of it. You won't fare much better than the others."

"But I can't just do nothing!"

"Perhaps there is something you can do. It was about this temple's true secret." Zelia muttered.

"True secret?" Aero wondered. "But all I saw were the murals and..."

_Alforce... _Aero blinked as a thought just snapped into his mind.

"Alforce? What's that?"

"I didn't say anything." Zelia shook her head.

_Call me forth... _The mysterious voice was accompanied with a brief vision. In it, he saw the same temple area they were in now. There were four distinctive murals lying at each of the four major compass points.

"These murals..." Aero muttered, opening his eyes and glancing around.

One was the mural that hid the secret passageway and two more were visible. But the point where he'd seen the northern mural was empty.

"Of course! The one down below!" Aero snapped his fingers. "I understand the secret now!"

Arkadimon's roar brought his attention back to his fallen comrades.

"Do what you have to do." Zelia told him. "I'll hold Arkadimon off."

"You sure?"

"You're the one who told me to go with what I believe in. And that's what I'm doing."

Lowering her body, Zelia charged in and pounced on the demonic creature.

(Zelia, what are you doing?) Evza's voice yelled. (Stop...)

Zelia shut off the link. She knew it was betraying her mistress, but she just felt like she had to.

The sounds of the raptor's desperate struggle reached Aero even as he raced down the hidden tunnel. The mural where Zelia had attacked him earlier was still there and when Aero dug his claws into the wall, the stone piece easily slid out. He returned to the surface and saw Zelia being pounded into a wall.

"Go!" She ordered, screaming an agony.

"Fire Rocket!" Steve was up by this time and rammed into Arkadimon with a flaming tackle.

The demon turned its attention towards Steve instead, who managed to dodge its tentacles. Another roar sounded as Janet jumped onto Arkadimon's back, clawing and biting at it.

Arkadimon howled furiously as it struggled to shake her off.

"I've got a clear shot!" Steve exclaimed. "Move Jan!"

"I can handle it!" Janet insisted, stabbing an exposed section of her opponent's neck. "Just stay...gargh!!"

Unfortunately, Arkadimon's tentacles stretched all the way and wrapped around her.

"Hands off buddy!" Steve snarled, leaping forward and slashing at the tentacles.

The furious demon knocked Steve aside and hurled Janet across the room.

"Erase Claw!" Janet fired her attack, only to have it countered by the Dot matrix.

Howling in pain, the Cyberdramon was thrown roughly to the ground. Arkadimon shot out its claws, sending them straight for Janet. She was too stunned to do anything but watch as her doom approached.

Then, there was a sickening stabbing sound as the claws stopped. Steve had jumped in front of her and taken the blow...three spear-like claws through his chest.

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!" Janet roared.

* * *

Aero had reached the northern position by this time and slammed the stone tablet into position. He stared in horror as Steve fell, with Janet screaming behind him.

Suddenly, all four of the murals lit up, each one sending off rays of light that met in the center of the room. Even Arkadimon seemed stunned as it backed away.

From the convergent point of the lights, a small shinning object emerged and flew into the air. Instinctively, Aero followed it up and grabbed it in his claws.

It was some sort of Digivice, taking the form of a bracelet with a triangular end, a circular center portion and a screen with rows of buttons by its side. (The Digivice from V-Tamers 01.)

"Is this...for me?" Aero wondered.

It definitely seemed so when the Digivice strapped itself around his right wrist. Aero glanced around, seeing Zelia slumped in a corner and Steve lying in a pool of blood, with Janet crawling up to him. Sekata and Zoe (who had dropped back to her XV-mon form) were getting up, though they looked battered and bruised.

"Everyone..." Aero muttered. "Let this light guide my path. Matrix Evolution!"

Aero brought the Digivice to his chest, causing a blinding light to burst out from within. His body began to change, becoming encased in blue and golden armor. In fact, he was evolving into the same dragon knight he'd seen on the mural earlier.

"Alforce V-dramon!"

Arkadimon seemed drawn to Aero's new form with renewed aggression and leapt up, lashing out with its tentacles.

"AlForce Saber!" Aero extended a green laser sword from his right wrist and slashed, cutting through the tentacles with surprising ease. He then charged into the beast, his glimmering blade flashing as he struck, knocking Arkadimon away.

"Grrr...that monster!" Sekata growled, staggering to his feet. "I'll never forgive him for hurting Steve!"

"We'll take him together." Aero nodded, landing beside him. "Shinning V Force!"

"Enryuugeki!" (Flame Dragon Attack!)

Aero's beam and Sekata's sword burst combined into a massive fiery explosion, but Arkadimon was still standing after it. However, it had both claws covering its chest...as if were desperate to protect that area.

"Could that be a weak point?" Sekata wondered.

"Let's see!" Aero lunged forward and slashed again and again at Arkadimon's chest. Though each time his attacks were blocked, Arkadimon was backing away from them.

Suddenly, Arkadimon made an odd grunting noise. It then leapt up, smashed its way through the nearest wall and disappeared into its self-created tunnel.

"He ran?" Zoe looked up.

"Forgot about that, Steve needs help!" Janet was crouching over him, her claws stained with blood.

"We have to get him out of here quickly." Aero agreed.

Steve coughed and let out a soft moan as Janet carefully scooped him up in her arms.

"Why did you do that you idiot?!" Janet whispered. "It was my fault. All my fault...I'm sorry Steve..."


	31. Duel Master

_Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game and all related trademarks belong to Konami._

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Duel Master**

By nightdragon0

The ear-splitting explosion was accompanied by a blinding flash of light. She felt herself being thrown back, her own attack being no match for her opponent's.

Janet was slammed onto her back, feeling the rocks cracking and crunching beneath her armored dragon body. Pain shot through her in waves as her senses were completely disorientated. And yet, all that didn't stop her from crying out.

"Garghh! Argghh!!" Janet rolled on the floor, squirming in agony.

The ominous thumping of her opponent's footsteps soon became apparent. Janet turned her head up as the creature, Arkadimon, stood over her. The demon showed no emotions on its face as it positioned itself, raising its claws up high.

Three fingers of the claw then shot out. They were spear-like fingers that sped straight towards Janet. She was already in a state of shock and simply seeing those weapons in action numbed her mind even more.

She was already imagining those claws impaling her, tearing through her flesh and scales.

Suddenly, another shape came in front of her. A Flamedramon, valiantly leaping into the fray, who took those claws right through his own body.

Janet was close enough to hear the stabbing of flesh as the spears did their work. She just stared, unable to do anything but watch as blood splattered everywhere.

Steve's body was jerked about as the claws twisted and finally withdrew. Then, his limp form dropped to the ground like a lifeless doll.

Blood was already in a puddle as Steve collapsed into it.

"NNNNOOOO!!" Janet roared. "Steve! Steve!!"

* * *

"Jan! Wake up! Jan!"

"NNOO!!"

WHAM!! Janet threw a fist forward, catching Sekata on the end of his snout.

"Gargh! Argh!!" The red dragon stumbled back.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Janet gasped.

"Don't worry." Sekata waved his claw.

"Where are...oh...yeah..." Janet panted.

She'd been on one of the seats in the waiting room and had fallen asleep leaning against the wall. The nightmares from the previous day were still fresh in her mind and Janet shuddered as those thoughts.

Sekata was kneeling beside her, with Zoe by his side. Across the room was the curled up figure of the dinosaur Zelia and Aero standing over her.

Everyone was back to their lower forms and once again in the hallway of a medical center. They had been scanned and had only received minor injuries, but Steve was their greatest concern at the moment.

"We seem to be ending up here much too often." Sekata muttered.

"Is Steve still..." Janet began.

"Yes, they've had him inside one of the healing pods all night long." Sekata gestured towards one of the doors.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Zoe asked.

"He'll make it." Sekata threw an arm around her shoulder. "He has to."

Zoe put an arm around his waist and placed her head against his chest. Sekata stroked the back of her head and leaned his head closer to hers as well.

A sudden hiss startled the two as Zelia sprang up.

"Rargghh!!"

"Hey calm down! You're all right!" Aero placed his hands on her neck and shoulders.

Zelia's eyes went wide as she continued to struggle in panic. The velociraptor had been unconscious all throughout the time when they'd brought her to the medical center and allowed the medics to screen her. The screening process involved placing the patient inside a large cylinder and scanning for all sorts of vital signs or injuries.

Although their new companion had checked out as fine, there was no telling what mental state she was in. Zelia then threw Aero off and bolted for the nearest exit.

"What the?!" Aero gasped, raising his hands. "She felt like...no...it couldn't be..."

"Felt like what?" Sekata asked.

"I've got to catch up with her first!"

* * *

Zelia dashed through the forest, running without a path or purpose. She just kept her legs moving as all the confused thoughts flooded into her mind.

_What am I doing here? How could I disobey my mistress?! And why? _Zelia closed her eyes. _I...just...I just don't understand! _

Suddenly, a shadow leapt down from the trees and grabbed onto her.

"There you are dammit! Evza's had me out looking for you!" Dynamo grunted.

"Let go! Rarrgghh!!" Zelia screeched.

"Come on, be a good girl and make my job a little easier." The black knight began. "Gargh!!"

Zelia snapped her jaws into his glove, startling Dynamo enough for him to release his hold. The raptor then knocked him down with her tail and spun around, snarling.

"Fine, be difficult then!" Dynamo muttered, bringing out his lance. "I just need to..."

"Not very nice threatening a lady, is it?" Aero hand reached out from behind and grasped Dynamo's.

As Dynamo tried to turn, the Aero V-dramon twisted his opponent's hand. Dynamo yelled in pain and Aero had enough time to take a firm hold and hurl Dynamo into a nearby tree.

"Ugh...so you wanna play nasty huh?!" Dynamo taunted, pulling himself to his feet.

"V-Wing Blade!" Aero jumped up and fired off an energy burst from his wings.

"Hargh!" Dynamo raised his shield and blocked the attack. "That the best you can do?!"

"Oh, I don't need to do much more because I have help." Aero grinned.

"Huh? I..." Dynamo stopped short upon hearing a low growl behind him.

"Ambush Crunch!" Zelia pounced onto Dynamo from behind and bit into his shoulder plating.

Her powerful jaws managed to pierce all the way through, resulting in Dynamo screaming wildly. She remained latched on tight as Dynamo struggled to get her off his back. Zelia however, continued clawing with her razor talons and 'killing claws'.

Aero hesitated in fear of hitting Zelia, and could only watch as Dynamo desperately twisted his body and got his cape into Zelia's face. In spite of the maneuver, Zelia still pushed him over and Dynamo went rolling into a clump of bushes.

Snarling, Zelia leapt forward and tore the bushes apart, only to find a deep hole with a set of claw marks on the top.

"Looks like he changed back into Guilmon and dug his way out." Aero muttered. "Seems he can switch forms just as easily as Sekata and the others can."

Zelia only growled as she continued to stare down at the hole.

"So, he wanted you back, it seems." Aero remarked. "Was he working with your original master then?"

"Yes..." Zelia hissed.

"Hmmm..." Aero reached out and touched Zelia's neck again. "There's something strange about the way you feel. It's like your body is rather cold, even after all the fighting."

Zelia gave him a puzzled look.

"From what I can tell, you're a dinosaur type with cybernetic enhancements." Aero placed his hand against her neck. "But I don't feel any breathing or any heartbeat from you."

"I...then how...in the medical center just now?" Zelia wondered.

"I have a strange hunch that the cybernetic parts of you are designed to somehow trick the systems into reading you as perfectly normal." Aero replied. "It sort of comes from me briefly seeing into your memories earlier."

"My memories..." Zelia muttered. "I'm starting to believe that those were real."

Both were startled by a sudden thud sound. Pushing aside the bushes, the pair found a bound and gagged Dynamo, in Guilmon form, lying there struggling.

"What the...?!" Aero stared.

"Surprise!" A Digimon know as Kunbiramon (the Rat Deva) leapt out of Dynamo's hole. He took the form of a cybernetic rat with odd implants like four thin, spider-like legs, a pair of large claws, a pair of brown wings and a long metallic tail.

Aero and Zelia ducked as the small Digimon bounded over their heads. He hurled a small sphere into the ground and it exploded into a cloud of blurry choking gas. Coughing and spluttering, Aero fumbled for his Digivice, which he'd previously removed and clipped to his belt.

Unfortunately, he could only get it unclipped before he was overcome by the gas. He fell, and his Digivice rolled into the bushes.

Zelia however, was completely unaffected and backed away, searching for their opponent. She stepped back into another Digimon, Mihiramon (the Tiger Deva), who'd snuck up behind her wearing a gas mask.

Mihiramon was a yellow armored tiger with purple stripes, a pair of wings on his back and a Nunchucku style tail. The swift swing of his tail was enough to knock Zelia out before she had a chance to defend herself.

"This one must definitely be Evza's experiment, the one we've been looking for." Mihiramon poked at Zelia's limp form. "She was completely unaffected by the knockout gas."

"Yeah, you got that right." Kunbiramon nodded, who'd slipped on a gas mask as well. "Guess we need to bring her back then. But what about the other two?"

"Our transport will be arriving soon, so we'd best take them along." Mihiramon grinned. "After all, we don't want their friends to find them when they come looking..."

* * *

"Aero!! Zelia!!" Sekata called.

"Hey! Where are you guys?!" Zoe shouted.

Almost half an hour had passed since Aero had left to go chasing after Zelia. Neither had returned and naturally, Sekata had gotten worried. It was not like he didn't have a lot on his mind already, but it wasn't in his nature to abandon a friend in need.

They were now in the same forest Aero had been in, following the signal of his Digivice.

"Looks like a fight took place here." Zoe remarked, gesturing at the broken trees and crumpled grass.

"The signal is getting stronger. Let me try and home in on it." Sekata brought up the virtual keyboard of his Digivice and pushed a few buttons. "Huh?!"

While flicking through the screens, he came across the counter, which had just reached 20.00.

"What is it?" Zoe turned her head.

"Oh, nothing. I just hit the wrong button." Sekata quickly changed screens. "There...his signal is very close now."

"Down here!" Zoe reached down and shoved some fallen branches aside. Aero's Digivice seemed perfectly fine as she lifted it up to the light.

"I don't think he would just drop it on the floor like this." Sekata knelt down beside her. "I wonder if..."

SNAP!! Someone close by stepped on a twig.

"Anyone there?" Zoe jerked up.

The leaves behind them rustled as a shadowy figure sprinted off.

"Hey wait!" Sekata called. "Who are you?! Damn, he's getting away!"

"You think he knows something about what happened to Aero?" Zoe asked.

"Possibly, but we have to catch up with him first! Come on!" Sekata grabbed her claw and dragged Zoe down the forest trail.

The winding dirt path led downhill and brought the two to a four-way junction. Some footsteps sounded from down the right path and they followed.

The forest was thicker here and the path much narrower. Yet, neither was able to catch sight of their quarry and eventually ended up at a closed off tunnel entrance.

* * *

While the others had run off, Janet remained waiting in the medical center. Eventually, she was allowed to enter Steve's ward while the doctors confirmed his medical data.

The Flamedramon was still unconscious as Janet took a seat beside his bed. All the pieces of his armor had been removed and lay on the floor, leaving only bandages on his body. He was breathing through a respirator too, his chest rising and falling with the breaths.

Janet remembered the three places he'd been pierced through all too well and with a trembling hand, pulled his blanket back to take a look.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered again. "This is all my fault. I should be the one lying down there, not you."

There came a metallic hum as a Swanmon nurse came through the door. Janet saw at once that she didn't look very hopeful.

"The wounds he took on were quite severe, but we were able to fix most of the damage done..." The nurse looked down. "However, he also has a fractured spine."

"Meaning..." Janet stared.

"He'll be crippled for life, and that's provided he wakes up at all."

* * *

"He couldn't have come this way..." Zoe muttered.

"Let's just take a quick look." Sekata tore the boards blocking the entrance away and stepped in.

A brief glimmer in the darkness caught his eye. Sekata realized he still had the torchlight from earlier and brought it out, using its light to illuminate their path.

"What's that?" Zoe wondered as they approached.

The glittering object turned out to be a dagger stuck in the wall and the pair approached it without running into any problems. It was then that the sounds of footsteps came from further down the tunnel.

"Hm?" Sekata instinctively turned his light towards the noise. "Gargh!!"

As he moved, where he assumed to be solid ground turned out to be a metallic slope coated with grease. Sekata was caught unprepared and Zoe wasn't able to pull him back up. Both went tumbling down and rammed into a hard wall.

"Ow...I swore I saw a straight path here..." Sekata muttered angrily.

"Maybe you were mistaken." Zoe suggested.

"No, this doesn't feel right...it's like this is a..." The red dragon stopped in mid-sentence upon hearing a hissing sound. What seemed like a thick black gas was quickly pouring into the area. "Let's go! Now!"

Grabbing Zoe's claw, Sekata ran forward with his torchlight and slammed into an invisible wall.

"A hologram?!" Sekata furiously pounded on the wall. "Urghh..."

_This isn't just a gas...it's some evil force..._Zoe thought. _I can feel it..._

However, both were choking and felt as if they were unable to breathe. Their strength was mysteriously being sapped away and Sekata made a final try for his Digivice.

"Jan! Come in Jan! We need...your...help...urghh..."

* * *

The Strikedramon was completely stunned. She barely heard what else the nurse had to say and quickly found herself alone after the nurse had departed.

Even in this world, there was a limit to what the medics could do.

She took his hand and held it tight, feeling the tears trickling out from beneath her helmet and down her reptilian face. Janet couldn't have cared less about the tears coming from a dragon like herself. Her 'self-image' had undergone a rapid change, thinking of herself now as a stronger-willed warrior. However, her emotions were just as abruptly interrupted as her Digivice hissed.

"Jan! Come in Jan! We need...your...help...urghh..."

"Sekata?! Zoe?" Janet gasped. "What's going on?!"

"Need...help...here...coordinates...garghhh...!!" Sekata's voice ended in a final burst of static.

"Guys? Hey! Are you all right?!" Janet pounded on her Digivice, receiving nothing else but more static.

She was able to bring up the map feature and saw that Sekata and Zoe were fairly close to the medical center. Under normal circumstances, Janet would've gone rushing off. But with Steve lying there on the bed, her emotions were tore in half.

_I need to be here when Steve comes to...but if the others are in trouble..._Janet shook her head. _No, I can't let them down too! _

"Steve..." Janet felt his claw one more time and pulled the blanket up to his chest. "I'll be back. I promise!"

Janet paused one last time at the doorway before dashing out. But just moments after she was gone, Steve stirred slightly and moaned.

"Jan...?"

* * *

An odd banging slowly drew Aero back to consciousness. He was definitely on some moving vehicle and could hear the humming of the engine. Besides, it was his head that was banging into the wall.

Moaning, Aero opened his eyes.

The first thing he found was that he was tightly bound with thick leather straps. His arms were crossed against his chest, with his chin against there as well. His wings were also strapped down along with his tail and legs all tied together. In short, all that barely allowed him any movement at all.

He was inside the back of a van apparently, and the tiger Mihiramon was standing over him. Aero snarled, but could do nothing more than catch the cat's attention.

"Don't bother, it won't do you any good." Mihiramon hissed.

"Where's Zelia?!" Aero demanded.

"Oh, you mean Evza's old experiment? That thing has a name after all."

"How dare you!!"

"You shouldn't get all worked up over the dino. Cause she really isn't what you've made her out to be." Mihiramon pointed with his nose.

Aero turned his eyes and saw Zelia within a transparent box filled with ice and a clear liquid. There wasn't any breathing apparatus as far as he could see, causing him to cry out in rage.

"What have you done with her?!"

"What are we doing? Helping to keep her alive of course." Mihiramon replied casually. "Oh, perhaps alive isn't the proper term to use since she's already dead. Of course, you didn't know that, did you?"

"Grrr...what is going on here?!"

"Perhaps I should ask you some things to clarify that. You remember the big incident at Kencric some years back?"

"Hmmm...a racial riot broke out between the dinosaur-types and the other Digimon types in that area over territorial claims. It was a pretty violent one from what I've heard." Aero muttered.

"And the girl there was one of the victims of the disaster."

"Then how...?"

"Ah that's the point you see. The one known as Evza had some interest in the girl for some reason. Evza is known to use a mixture of science and sorcery in her experiments, one of which is creating new life from the dead."

Aero just stared, baffled.

"Your earlier thoughts about her were correct." Mihiramon continued. "Indeed she is designed to look like a dinosaur type with cybernetic enhancements. And those parts create a simulation of her being 'alive', but when she's at ease. The danger is that her body is unable to sufficiently cool itself down after vigorous activity. Hence, the ice bath."

"What sort of sick mind plays with life like this?!" Aero growled.

"Now that Evza's joined up with Lucifer's Royal Knights, us Devas need a way to truly challenge their power. And we're talking about Arkadimon here. We just need to study her design and come up with a zombie of our own."

The Aero V-dramon snarled furiously, struggling in vain to free himself. Mihiramon simply laughed and lay back in the corner.

"Relax and enjoy the ride." The tiger grinned. "Since you like her so much, we'll give you the opportunity to join her shortly."

In the other corner of the van, Dynamo in his Guilmon form had heard everything. Despite being as restrained as Aero, he pretended to be unconscious and pressed a finger to his palm.

A tiny metal device was hidden there and it begun to emit a barely audible beep.

* * *

"Anyone here?!" Janet called.

Having taken the form of Cyberdramon, she'd arrived at the tunnel Sekata and Zoe had disappeared into earlier. According to her D-Dragon, the signals of Sekata's, Zoe's and Aero's Digivices were coming from within.

It seemed dark inside and Janet carefully pushed her way through. The light streaming in through the entrance didn't allow her to see past the first few feet and she hesitated.

"Hmm?" Janet looked down to find a think black gas was gathering at her feet.

Instinctively, she started backing towards the entrance, but a mysterious voice suddenly interrupted her.

"I wouldn't do that. Not if you want to see your friends again at least."

"Who's there?!" Janet growled. "Argh!"

She was forced to cover her face as a blinding light engulfed the entire room. When Janet looked up, she was standing in a very different area.

Instead of the rocky cavern walls were metal floors and ceilings. She was at the top of a slope and looked down to find a humanoid Digimon standing there. It was known as Piedmon, a strange warrior dressed in a red colored tunic and baggy green pants. He had one half of his face painted white and the other black, along with a bunch of swords strapped behind his back.

"Welcome to my humble domain." Piedmon declared. "Where illusion is more than meets the eye!"

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Janet pointed. "I don't give a damn about your dirty tricks! And where are my friends?!"

"Oh, you mean these two?"

A couple of wall panels flipped over to reveal Sekata and Zoe strapped to them.

"Don't believe everything you see here!" Zoe yelled. "This place is full of illusions and mind tricks! We fell for those...garggghhh!!"

Her panel lit up with an electrical charge that shocked her into unconsciousness. Sekata had his jaws clamped shut, but his muffled roar of fury was very clear.

"Damn you! Erase Claw!" Janet launched a blue energy burst.

Piedmon calmly stood still and snapped his fingers. Suddenly the panel Sekata was strapped to appeared in the clown's position instead. Janet's attack struck Sekata's chest, the latter's eyes going wide in pain.

"Oh no!" The Cyberdramon gasped.

"Looks like your shot was off." Piedmon taunted.

"Grrr!" Janet fired another shot.

"Clown Trick!" Piedmon raised his hands.

An invisible barrier reflected the Erase Claw back at Janet, slamming the energy burst into her body. Howling in pain, Janet fell forward and rolled down the slope.

"Let's face it, you can't defeat me at your level." Piedmon laughed.

"Grrr..." Janet pulled herself to a kneeling position, clutching her side.

"But where's the fun if your prey dies so fast? So I have a little proposition for you girl." Piedmon waved a finger. "How would you like to risk everything on a gamble?"

"A gamble?" Janet asked.

"I am known as Arkane, the Master of Games, and you may challenge me to a game of your choosing. Let it be a board game, a card game and such."

"And the bet?"

"If you win, you all get to go free. However, if you lose...all your souls become mine. Simple, no?"

"Ugh..." Janet stared, panting.

_No I can't do this! _She told herself. _Fine if it was just me, but I'm responsible for Sekata and Zoe's lives too! What if the same thing happens with Steve? _

"Don't...lose heart..." Zoe struggled to speak. "I don't blame you for what happened to Steve! I still believe in you! But you have to believe in yourself first!"

"Aw...how touching..." Arkane quipped.

Sekata gave another muffled growl, but it was obvious that he didn't like Arkane's comment very much.

"Fine then!" Janet stood up. "I'll accept your challenge! And I'm gonna beat you sick!"

"Well, I knew you'd see it my way. All you need to do now is think of the game you wish to play." Arkane grinned. "Oh, and did I mention that your two friends are going to be part of the game too?"

"What?! Hey leave them out of the game at least!" Janet growled. "It's bad enough you're making me take these risks and toying around with a bunch of card games like life and death! This isn't an episode of..."

"Ooh, you just thought of a game. A most interesting card game too."

"Huh?! No! That wasn't the one I wanted!" Janet protested. "That was just a comment!"

"Too late, once you've chosen a game, it can't be changed." Arkane snapped his fingers.

Janet felt the world swirling around her and fell to the ground.

* * *

_Hurt...pain..._

Those were mostly the thoughts that kept coming into Steve's mind as he struggled to free himself. Or at least tried to. However, his body just would not move.

With a start, Steve's eyes snapped open. And much to his horror, he couldn't move any part of his body below his neck.

Looking around, he saw the white walls of the medical center. He remembered the creature, Arkadimon, as well, and recalled his insane stunt. He'd probably ended up here because of it.

But why wasn't he able to move? And where was everyone else?

"Hey? Anybody there?" Steve glanced around the ward as best as he could, but all he saw around were tables, chairs and empty beds.

"So, you've been dumped too? Typical. People keep you when you're of use to them, and then nobody's around for you."

"Wha...?" Steve realized the voice had come from the bed next to his. The curtain had been pulled between the beds, preventing him from seeing the figure there. However there was definitely the shadow of someone lying there.

"Oh I heard them talking. You took some injuries to your spine and well...you're just like me now. Crippled."

"No..." Steve stared, desperately struggling in vain to move his body.

"And the ones you call friends? All went running out of here, one by one."

"Sekata and the others wouldn't do such a thing!" Steve gasped.

"So you think. I was the same as you once, and that was a long time ago." The voice continued. "Look at where I am now...rotting away in my own misery."

Steve just lay back, a sudden wave of depression hitting him.

_Why does everything happen to me?! _He cursed. _They'll be back...and they'll find some way to help me._

"Please guys..." Steve whispered, closing his eyes. "Don't leave me..."

* * *

"Whooaaa! Gagrh!!" Janet spun in the air for a while and landed on a hard surface. "Ow..."

Two more screams came as Sekata and Zoe was tossed down as well, all three ending up in a large heap.

"That was not nice." Sekata muttered as the group pulled themselves up.

"Where the heck are we?" Janet wondered.

"In Piedmon's crazy world of illusions no doubt." Zoe replied. "Huh? Guys look here!"

Beyond the brown wooden floor on which they stood, rows and rows of cards were laid out. These cards were huge however, as big as the dragons themselves.

"Wait a minute, these are...Yu-Gi-Oh cards?!" Sekata stared. "Jan! What were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry! I was trying to say that 'This isn't an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh', and well..."

"Wonderful! Do you even know how to play?" Sekata snapped.

"I do!" Janet insisted. "I've played the game on my computer."

"On your computer? How about against a real opponent?"

"Screaming at her isn't going to help." Zoe tugged his arm. "Don't you have some experience?"

"I'm no professional. Remember that this isn't my normal field of play." Sekata sighed. "Well, it seems as if we're required to build a deck here. For this game, it's got to have at least 40 cards in it."

"Guess I should get started." Janet muttered.

"Don't worry, we can do this together." Zoe assured. "I'm sticking to what I told you just now."

Sekata had wandered off slightly and approached one of the cards, which was face-up and displayed the image of a ferocious white dragon with a large pair of wings, a long tail and an elongated head. It looked like a standard 'Western' dragon, standing on its rear legs while its smaller front claws were held up.

"This is Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Sekata whistled, reaching out to touch the card. "Not a bad one to...gargghh!!"

The moment his claw made contact, whips of blue energy shot out and wrapped themselves around Sekata's body. The Vritramon was dragged into the card before he had time to say anything else.

"Sekata!" Zoe ran forward.

"No wait!" Janet yelled.

"Argghh!!" Zoe stepped onto another card, this one depicting the image of a horned black-colored dragon. It was similar to the card Sekata had touched, only that his black dragon was thinner and slightly smaller.

She met with the same fate, being drawn into the card as well.

"NO!!" Janet cried.

A light flashed on her left arm, causing her to pause for a moment. Her D-Dragon faded and changed into a device as long as her forearm. It was a squarish object with 5 card slots on its surface. Behind those 5 slots were 5 more similar slots. In the center of the device were a place for the player's deck, and also a slot for discarded cards.

"A Dueling Disc?" Janet stared. "Is this some kind of sick joke?!"

Within the deck's slot were two cards, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The same cards Sekata and Zoe had been trapped in.

"That's what I mean when I said that your friends were going to be part of the game too." Arkane's disembodied voice rang out.

"Damn you!" Janet roared furiously.

"Well, don't tarry now. Unlike them, you're the duelist. So pick the cards you want and they'll be added to your deck. I'll be waiting..."

Janet couldn't do anything else but comply. She flew around the area, tapping the cards and having them slowly added to her deck.

(Author's Note: There'll bit a little bit of a Yu-Gi-Oh crossover here. It would take too long for me to explain all the card game's rules here, so I'd recommend you look them up on any Yu-Gi-Oh Website. Speaking of that, you should also be able to find pictures of the Dueling Disc and the various cards on those sites too.)

* * *

The 'innocent' figure on the other side of the curtain was not really whom Steve thought it was.

The monkey Deva, Makuramon, quietly crept out from beneath the sheets while Steve slept. This same Digimon had been watching their group earlier and after Chatsuramon's attempt had failed, had decided to make a move of his own.

"Keep believing that boy." Makuramon grinned. "Soon, even you will see it my way. And I'll be making sure of it."

On the floor beside his bed lay the unconscious Swanmon nurse.

Makuramon juggled a pendant in his hands, recalling how easy it had been to capture and hypnotize the nurse. And she would continue to pass all the information he wanted to the unsuspecting dragon.

The monkey knew that his fellow Devas had two of the dragon's companions, while 3 more were missing. He just needed them to be missing for long enough to let the boy believe he'd really been abandoned.

Then, he could carry out his own plan about how to go against both the kid's party and against the Royal Knights.

* * *

"All right, I'm ready!" Janet called.

The field of cards faded and Janet reappeared in Arkane's previous arena. The Piedmon stood on the other side, with a Dueling Disc strapped onto his left arm as well.

"Certainly took you long enough." Arkane waved.

"I come prepared for all my battles!" Janet shuffled her deck and slipped it into the deck slot. A counter indicating her Life Points (LP) flashed and went up to 4000. "I'll show you what it is to mess around with me!"

"Humph, well see." Arkane grinned, doing the same. His LP counter flashed at 4000 too.

"Duel, begin!" Both declared, each one drawing 5 cards from their respective decks.

"Why don't you start girl?" Arkane gestured.

"Fine then! I'll draw!" Janet drew a card from her deck. "Huh?!"

_Blue-Eyes White Dragon?! Sekata!_ She realized.

The card didn't seem to respond to her and Janet realized that Sekata probably wasn't able to talk to her. She would have to do this on her own.

It was an 8 Star card, meaning that she needed to sacrifice two monster cards on her field to summon it, something she couldn't do now.

"I'll play this one, Spell Card 'White Dragon Ritual', which allows me to summon the 'Paladin of the White Dragon'..." Janet placed a card down. "For this, I have to send a 4 star monster card from my hand to the graveyard."

On the playing field between the two duelists, the image of a white armored knight appeared, riding a white dragon and wielding a shinning blade. Janet placed the spell card and the required 4 star monster card into the discard slot.

_This card is a dragon-type creature with its Attack Points (ATK) at 1900. Strong enough, but he still might get a card with more Attack Points on his first turn. _Janet told herself.

"I'll set down one reverse card, and this ends my turn."

A face down card materialized behind the paladin's image.

"Very well, I'll draw." Arkane pulled out a card. "I will invoke the magic card 'Graceful Charity', which allows me to draw 3 cards from my deck and then discard any 2 cards from my hand. Then, I'll play the 'Monster Reborn', and revive one of the cards that I discarded..."

A creature resembling a humanoid clown appeared, the 'Dream Clown' with ATK 1200.

"You're gonna attack me with that?!" Janet laughed.

"Oh, how foolish you are. Remember that because the 'Monster Reborn' is considered a special summon, I can still sacrifice this weaker card for a much stronger one!"

"Oh crap!"

"And now, by sacrificing the 'Dream Clown', I summon 'Dragon Seeker' with ATK 2000!"

The clown vanished with a roar, revealing a gargoyle-like creature in its place.

_Uh oh, not only is its ATK is higher than my card's, but didn't this card have a special effect as well? _Janet thought.

"The special effect of this card is that the 'Dragon Seeker' destroys one dragon monster on the field automatically!" Arkane declared.

With that, Janet's dragon and rider vanished in a shower of sparks, leaving her open to an attack by the 'Dragon Seeker's' razor-like claws. Screaming in pain, Janet was thrown back against the ground.

_Gargh...the pain...it feels...so real..._She moaned, struggling to her feet.

In accordance with the rules, her LP counter dropped to 2000. The LP dropping to zero meant that she would lose the game. She was shocked to find a long scar from the 'Dragon Seeker's' claws across her upper body.

"Things aren't merely illusions here." Arkane continued. "But can your mind figure out what's real and what's not? Well, your turn now girl."

_This is insane! I'm a Cyberdramon and I'm stuck here playing a Yu-Gi-Oh card game with a lunatic! _Janet moaned. _But I'm gonna beat this guy at his own game! I swear!! _

"I've barely begun to fight! Draw card!" Janet added another card to her hand and looked over the field. "Damn, I panicked and forgot about that trap card I set down. Well, I'll activate it now! 'Call of the Haunted'!"

With the card's effect, Janet's dragon was returned to her playing field. The 'Paladin of the White Dragon' had a special ability too, and by discarding the card, she was able to special summon a particular dragon, which she now held in her hand.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Janet placed the card down with its attack display of 3000 up.

The huge white dragon depicted on the card materialized on the playing field. However, unlike the other card monsters, this one blinked its eyes and glanced around in confusion.

"Wha...what am I doing here?! Huh?! WHAT...what's happened to me?!"

"That voice..." Janet muttered. "Sekata?!"

"Jan! What are you doing over there?! And why the hell am I on this playing field?!" The Blue-Eyes/Sekata cried in panic.

"See, isn't it nice to play a little game with your friends?" Arkane gestured.

"Why you!!" Sekata tried to lunge for the Piedmon, only to find that his feet were fixed to the spot.

"Ah ah, you also have to play by the rules, remember?"

"This is getting really dangerous." Janet whispered. "What happens if your card gets sent to the graveyard Sekata?"

"I really don't want to find out." Sekata replied. "But the only way we're going to be able to escape from this crazy world of illusions is if we keep playing. Where's Zoe?"

"Her card is still in the deck."

"Well, that's one relief. You have any bright ideas now Jan?"

"I hope so..." Janet growled, still feeling the pain of the earlier direct attack on her. "I really hope so..."


	32. Red and White

_Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game and all related trademarks belong to Konami._

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Red and White**

By nightdragon0

"You hope?! Great..." Sekata muttered.

"Just let me handle it." Janet said to him. "Because I used the 'Paladin of the White Dragon's' special ability, you can't attack this turn. So I'll place down a reverse card and end here."

"Very well, my time then." Arkane drew. "I'll set a monster card face down along with a reverse card. I'm done."

"He didn't even change the battle position of his 'Dragon Seeker' to defense mode?" Sekata whispered. "He must be pretty confident with his reverse card."

"Well, I'll take care of that." Janet drew a card. "Magic card 'Mystical Space Typhoon', which destroys one reverse card on the field!"

With a shower of sparks, Arkane's reverse card vanished. The clown had a rather annoyed look on his face too.

"Now, the way's clear!" Janet pointed. "Go Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Ultimate Burst Stream!"

Sekata opened his jaws and a huge white flare shot out, blowing the 'Dragon Seeker' apart. Arkane clutched his side in pain as his LP went down to 3000. The damage came from the difference of the ATK of the two cards (With Blue-Eyes White Dragon's ATK at 3000 against 'Dragon Seeker's' 2000, resulting in a 1000 point damage to Life Points).

"Hey, I do have a name you know." Sekata growled, rubbing his mouth.

"Sorry man, just that I've always wanted to do that." Janet grinned.

"Now I'm really worried..."

"Hey, what are you implying?!"

"Oh forget it and just carry on."

* * *

It seemed like ages, but the van finally pulled to a halt. Aero opened his eyes with a start, realizing that he must've fallen asleep. Mihiramon was gone though, leaving the still bound Aero inside the vehicle.

After a while, a pair of Karatenmon guards brought Zelia's capsule out. They resembled humanoid birdmen wearing white and purple armor, along with a pair of golden swords.

Aero watched them in frustration, struggling with his ropes.

Two more Karatenmon guards entered the van, but all of a sudden, one was knocked to the side. As the other one turned, he was sent flying out through the windscreen of the van.

Triumphantly, Junon the Rhodo Knightmon stepped in, dusting her hands. She brought up one of her yellow ribbon 'tails' and cut Dynamo loose.

"Sure took you long enough." Dynamo commented. "Even with that tracking device I used to signal you."

"Ungrateful brat. You think following them on foot without being detected was easy?" Junon snapped, raising the visor of her helmet to show her eyes beneath.

"Hey lighten up girl." Dynamo waved. "But at least I found the runaway, right?"

"Well, the Devas had better not have had time to analyze her data."

"That part I can't guarantee."

"Then we'll have to take some measures to rectify that. This van is parked beside a small base." Junon told him. "Let's sneak in and take it out quietly."

"Hey, this isn't like you Junon."

"Even I can't fight an army by myself."

"And how about me?! I...ow! Hey!!"

Junon simply grabbed Dynamo by his Guilmon 'ears' and dragged him out of the van. Although both had completely ignored Aero throughout the conversation, it still left the blue dragon in the same position as before.

_I still don't have any good options. _Aero sighed. _Wait, perhaps I do..._

One of the downed guards had dropped his sword, which happened to be stuck between a couple of crates. With some effort, Aero was able to flip himself onto his stomach. By slowly pushing his head and shoulders against the ground, he was able to get his feet onto the sword.

Placing the strap binding his feet onto the sword's blade, Aero grunted as he wiggled back and forth. It wasn't long before his muscles were aching from the strain, but the strap was slowly coming lose.

_Almost...almost..._

CLANG! The metal buckles of the straps clattered as his bindings finally came off.

With a sign of relief, Aero was finally able to stretch his legs and tail. Sweat was already pouring down his face, but now he had to get to work on freeing his upper body.

He begun the painful task of leaning a shoulder against the blade and moving back and forth to cut the strap lose. However, an explosion sounding from nearby caused him to pause momentarily.

"Zelia..." He growled. "I've got to hurry!"

* * *

BOOM! Another of Arkane's facedown monster cards exploded in a shower of sparks.

"I'm starting to like doing that." Sekata licked his jaws. "But we're not getting anywhere fast. The LP score is still the same."

Janet now had 5 cards in her hand, 1 reverse card on her field and Blue-Eyes as her lone monster card. Arkane had been defending with facedown cards for a couple of turns now, leaving him with 3 cards in his hand and 1 more facedown monster card.

"We've got the advantage." Janet reminded him. "Let's keep up the pressure."

"Don't get too hasty, that doesn't mean he isn't planning anything."

"My draw now." Arkane pulled out a card and grinned. "I've been waiting for this one. I'll set down 3 reverse cards and end my turn here."

"Then I'll go! Draw card!" Janet whipped out the top card.

"Ah, you now have 6 cards in your hand." Arkane pointed. "Then I can activate this trap card, 'Gamble'! If I call a coin toss right, I will be able to draw 6 cards from my deck."

The clown produced a silver coin and showed it to Janet. He then flipped it into the air, watching intently.

"Heads!" Arkane caught the coin in his palm. "And looks like I'm right, hehehe..."

"Grrr..." Janet hissed. "But it's still my turn. I'll play the magic card 'Harpies' Feather Duster' to destroy all your reverse cards on the field!"

"And the next of my trap cards, 'Magic Jammer'." Arkane countered. "By discarding a card from my hand, I can neglect the activation of your magic card."

"Gargghh! Rarrgghh!!" Sekata suddenly roared in pain. Coils of black smoke had emerged from the ground beneath him and wrapped themselves around his arms, legs and wings.

"Sekata! Hey, what's going on?!" Janet demanded.

"The card I discarded to my graveyard was a monster card, the 'Beast of Glifer'." Arkane explained. "When this card is sent to the graveyard, it has the effect of decreasing the ATK of a monster on the field by 500 points. So now, Blue-Eyes has only 2500 ATK."

"That still won't stop me from attacking!" Janet pointed.

"Jan, wait!" Sekata protested.

"Oh, but this will." Arkane laughed. "Trap card 'Spellbinding Circle'!"

A circle of runes formed around Sekata's body and more magical reins lashed out. The white dragon was immediately tied up and dragged to the ground, struggling in vain.

"A monster affected by this trap cannot attack or change its battle position." Arkane declared.

"Sekata!!" Janet tried to run towards him, but an invisible barrier prevented her from moving onto the playing field.

"Ugh...I'm...all right..." Sekata panted.

_Crap, I let him goad me into launching a reckless attack. _Janet stared. _And Sekata's in pain because of it! How am I supposed to do this?! _

"Why so stunned girl?" Arkane taunted. "It's still your turn."

"Damn you..." Janet cursed under her breath.

"Jan, keep fighting. Nevermind what happens to me!" Sekata turned his head.

"But...I...what if I mess up again, like with..."

"Would Steve want to see you just give up like this?!"

"Huh...I..."

"Would he?!" Sekata snapped.

_He's right... _Janet told herself.

"I'll set a monster card facedown, along with a second reverse card. And this ends my turn." Janet placed the cards on her Dueling Disc.

"Not as confident now, aren't we?" Arkane grinned, drawing a card. "I'll sacrifice my facedown monster card to summon the 'Earl of Demise'. In addition, I'll equip it with a magic card, the 'Sword of Dark Destruction'."

This creature was a humanoid zombie with pale blue skin and tattered clothes (ATK 2000). In one of its hands, it held a sword with a skull handle and a blood-red blade.

"Dark elemental monster cards like mine gain 400 ATK when equipped with the sword."

"Its ATK now is 2400. Just 100 below Sekata's." Janet muttered.

"Further more, I'll also play the field card, 'Yami'." Arkane slid a card into a side section of the Dueling Disc.

Janet and Sekata glanced around nervously as the area darkened. Like black paint spilling over the floor, the darkness crept all over the place until everything had been completely shrouded by it. It looked like they were standing in a black void, with only the playing field appearing before them.

"Wha...what is this?!" Janet stared. That feeling sent shivers down her spine.

"On this Yami field, the ATK of dark elemental monsters is further increased by 200 points." Arkane explained.

"Now the ATK of Arkane's monster card is...2600!" Janet gasped.

"And I will attack your weakened Blue-Eyes with the 'Earl of Demise'!"

Sekata could only stare, eyes wide in panic. His instinct was to run, but his body refused to move from its spot on the playing field.

"NO!!" Janet's mad rush was blocked once again by the invisible barrier.

The sword-wielding zombie silently hovered across the field and ran his weapon through Sekata's chest. The white dragon let off a gurgled roar of agony as his foe withdrew the sword and brought it upwards, slicing his throat open.

Sekata's Blue-Eyes White Dragon form collapsed and disintegrated.

"NNNNOOOOOOO!!"

* * *

Throwing his straps off at last, Aero hurriedly kicked the van's door open. Fortunately, no guards were in the immediate vicinity to witness his escape.

The vehicle had been parked beside a 3-story building, now with smoke pouring out of a window at its upper level. Aero was more careful this time and pushed open the nearest door to take a peek.

He was initially startled to find a security camera staring him in the face, until he realized that it, along with all the lights in the corridor were off.

"Get the fire extinguishers!" A voice from nearby ordered.

"The power's out! Check for security breaches!" Another echoed.

Aero ducked behind a locker just as a squad of Karatenmon guards passed by.

"I have a feeling Dynamo and Junon are behind this little mess." He whispered. "Now, I've got to take advantage of it."

The plain silver walls and unmarked doors offered little help, but there was a floor plan on a nearby wall and Aero saw a laboratory location at the rear end of the first floor. It was much darker in the corridors that followed, and Aero managed to slip past in the general confusion of the guards.

At one corner, he paused when the unconscious body of a Karatenmon was hurled past. That had been Dynamo's handiwork and Junon was right beside him, running a second guard through with her yellow 'ribbon blades'.

"The lab's just ahead." Dynamo was saying. "As long as the power's off, we'll be able to get through their electronic doors without any problems."

"They'll eventually figure out how you messed up their switchboards." Junon replied.

"Hey, it's lasted this long right?"

The pair moved further down the path and Aero stepped out to follow them. Unfortunately, he ran right into plain sight of a squad of Karatenmon guards.

"Intru...Kwak!!" The lead bird opened his beak to shout and Aero hastily barged into him.

The guard falling against his comrades gave Aero enough time to run back and snatch up a dropped sword.

"Hargh!" Aero brought up the sword and swung it above his head, making a fluid series of sword motions by twirling it around his body and finally striking a battle pose.

"He's got a sword!" One guard gasped.

"You idiots! We've all got swords!" The squad leader slapped the soldier's head before drawing his own pair of blades.

Aero quickly slapped the leader's attack away with an outwards stroke, then spun to his opponent's side and attacked. The leader was quick enough to duck, but he was also forced to move away as a second guard dashed in to engage with an overhead slash.

The blue dragon held his blade horizontally to block and the impact left him stumbling back. Another strike was ill-placed and easily avoided, but forced him back some more.

Several more attacks came and Aero was forced into defensive. The only good thing was that there wasn't enough space for the guards to flank him in the narrow corridor as long as he still had ground to retreat to.

Further more, his muscles were still aching badly from his ordeal with the straps earlier and Aero realized he wouldn't be able to fight all of them off. It looked like he'd backed into a wall until he noticed a movable panel behind him, marked 'Waste Disposal'.

A sword stroke caught him off guard and cut into his left shoulder. A few more inches to the right and it would've gotten his neck. But his stroke of good fortune didn't come cheap as the blow had him screaming with a broken collar bone and a bleeding wound.

Even though Aero knocked the sword away, the bold guard then took his chance and pushed, shoving him against the wall.

Pressing his back hard against the cold metal surface, Aero kicked with both feet, knocking the Karatenmon back into his squad.

_Now's my chance! _He realized.

With his precious seconds, Aero turned and pushed his way through the panel. Much to his dismay, only his upper body went through before his waist got stuck in the opening. The garbage chute itself was wide enough for him to go down, leaving him with just the problem of getting in.

"Shit! Arghh!!" He yelled, wiggling his limbs.

"Kwak! He's mine!"

"No! Mine!"

"Out of the way fools!" Angry shouts came as the guards regained their senses.

One soldier tripped and jabbed Aero in the buttocks. With a furious roar, Aero flew through and tumbled down in darkness until he landed in a small room full of various kinds of junk.

Most were things like machine parts, drink cans and leftover food, giving off a four odor. Aero decided he didn't want to know what else was in there as he slogged through the knee deep water.

The hatch leading out was unlocked and Aero climbed up into an empty corridor.

Several voices caused him to duck for cover, but those had come from upstairs instead. Aero recognized Mihiramon's voice...and he was fighting with someone.

* * *

"Relax there girl, its all part of the game." Arkane grinned.

"Part of the game?!" Janet clenched her fists. "Sekata...he..."

_Keep fighting... _Sekata's voice echoed in her mind.

Janet was down to 1900 LP, but she wasn't out of the battle yet.

"But I have 1 more card to play before I end my turn. 'Card Destruction', which forces both players to discard their entire hand and draw a new one." Arkane waved the card about.

"Damn..." Janet reluctantly slid her cards into the discard slot.

_What if my friend's cards had been in my hand? There are just too many possibilities. _She thought. _And...oh no... _

One of the cards she'd just drawn was Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Zoe's soul card.

_It's too dangerous to keep Zoe's card in my hand, but at the same time, she doesn't stand a chance against Arkane's monster card. _Janet grimaced as she begun her turn by drawing a card. _Still, there has to be a way..._

"I'll summon the 'Lord of Dragons' in defense mode." Janet placed a card face-up, though this time horizontally.

A tall man dressed in robes with a dragon-shaped helmet appeared. This card's defensive points (DEF) were 1100, much lower than her opponent's ATK. However, with the card in defense mode, Janet wouldn't receive any LP damage even if her card was destroyed in battle.

"The special ability of the 'Lord of Dragons' is that all dragon-type cards cannot be targeted by any magic, trap or special effects." Janet announced. "In addition, I'll play a magic card, 'The Flute of Summoning Dragon', which allows me to specially summon any dragon-type monster from my hand."

The cloaked spellcaster brought a 'dragon-head' horn to his lips and blew a long and low note. This effect caused the large form of Red-Eyes Black Dragon to appear (with ATK 2400).

"Ugh...huh?!" Zoe moaned, glancing over her new form. "Jan...what's going on here?!"

"You and Sekata are stuck inside this game I'm unfortunately forced to play." Janet replied.

"Sekata? He's here too?"

"I...I lost him...to that..." Janet pointed to Arkane's monster with her snout. "But the duel's not over yet. We can still get him back."

"Ha, the ATK score of Red-Eyes is not even enough." Arkane observed.

"Argh, why can't I move?!" Zoe struggled.

"You just have to play your part in this. Sekata just went down because of my carelessness." Janet looked down. "But even then, I heard his voice telling me to keep fighting."

"Jan..."

"I just keep letting everyone down."

"No that's not true." Zoe protested. "We all make mistakes, but we're always pulled through. And that's because we're stuck together, remember?"

Janet clenched a fist.

"I promise that I'm going to do everything in my power to get you out of this." She declared. "Magic card, 'Swords of Revealing Light'!"

A single ray of light pierced the darkness. From there, it branched off into multiple swords of white energy, which landed all around Arkane and his monster, causing the clown to cover his face.

"None of your monsters will be able to attack for 3 turns."

"You're only delaying the inevitable." Arkane said angrily.

"No, it's more that just that. It's the light...our light that will pierce your darkness!" Janet stared him in the eye. "You just don't realize what we can do together! End of my turn."

"Stubborn girl." Arkane drew a card. "I'll place a monster card facedown, and use the magic card 'Offerings to the Doomed' to destroy the 'Lord of Dragons'."

"Gugh..." Janet covered her face as the aforementioned card vanished with a small explosion.

"Without its protection, your dragon-type monsters are once again vulnerable to my magic cards." Arkane folded his arms. "But all in good time. That's the end of my turn."

"It kept you away from Zoe for this turn, and that's what I needed." Janet looked up. "Card draw!"

* * *

Zelia opened her eyes to a blurry world. Her senses simply wanted to shut down again, but something forced her to keep awake.

_This is...familiar somehow..._Zelia told herself as a short vision flashed before her eyes.

She had been in a similar capsule, also filled with the same green fluid she floated in now.

"_Her revival has been successful, but there are problems." A voice from elsewhere sounded. "She'll have no memories, and be nothing more than a mindless slave."_

"_Even so..." Evza replied. "I must do this. There must be some chance to get her back."_

"_Those are very slim. Please Miss Evza, I ask you to reconsider. She's dead, and you should let her go..."_

"_No, it's too late to turn back now." Evza shook her head. "Look, she's beginning to move!"_

The sudden sounds of fighting made her look up slightly. The armored knights, Junon and Dynamo had entered the room, and engaged Mihiramon and Kunbiramon.

_Is it me they're fighting over? _Zelia stared. _No, it must be something else..._

The four figures were still darting about when Aero emerged through an air vent. The blue dragon glanced straight towards her and started running.

"Another one! Stop him!" Kunbiramon yelled.

Mihiramon knocked Junon off and swung his Nunchucku tail. Aero raised his arms to block, with the force of the blow sending him rolling over.

"Judecca Prison!" Dynamo was preparing to fire a dark energy blast from his shield.

Kunbiramon bounced up and ploughed into him, sending his blast towards Zelia's capsule instead.

"NNOO!!" Aero broke off from his own battle and jumped in front of energy beam, taking it straight in the chest.

Howling in pain, then blue dragon went flying, shattering the lower half of Zelia's capsule. The raptor dropped back onto solid ground amongst the spill of strange green liquid. Electricity sparkled as the machinery malfunctioned, sending shocks through both Aero and herself.

Zelia shook the sparks off and limped over to the fallen Aero's form.

"Why?" She muttered. "What did you see in me? Was I worth saving?"

"Damn, what did he think he was doing?!" Kunbiramon gasped.

"Grrrrr..." Zelia snarled. "I'll make you all pay for that!!"

And as the dino raced towards her enemies, Zelia's body glowed and started to change.

In her new form, Zelia stood upright as a humanoid knight in golden armor with red patterns. Her helmet still remained reptilian-shaped, along with her claws and 3-toed feet. Behind her, flapped a blue cape, along with two sleek fencing swords by her side.

This was an Ultimate Digimon, Grademon (Gureidomon).

"Huh?! Urghh!!" Junon was able to block Zelia's attack with her ribbon whips as she sprang away.

Zelia drew the twin blades as she continued her change. Dynamo blocked with his shield and Mihiramon ducked out of the way.

"Kurimisha!" Kunbiramon used his special ability, which created multiple illusionary copies of himself.

Zelia hesitated as the circle of Rat Devas surrounded her. One by one, they lunged.

Though many didn't have any effect, the real Deva occasionally hit her from behind.

The dino-knight steadied herself and started spinning on the spot. As her rate of rotation increased, a miniature whirlwind brewed up. While the clones remained in constant motion, the real Kunbiramon stood out for a second as he blinked with dust in his eyes.

A random swing in his general direction rewarded Zelia with a solid thud, sending the rat spinning into the air.

"Cross Blade!!" Zelia made an 'X' motion with her swords, slicing Kunbiramon in two.

She landed and continued to smash machinery apart, creating dozens of small fires around.

"Great, she's not going to be coming with us willingly now." Junon coughed. "Let's just destroy this place and get out."

"I like the sound of that!" Dynamo holstered his lance and brought up a handful of small bombs. "Fire in the hole!"

Mihiramon snarled in frustration as the lab went up in smoke. That was until he noticed some of the spilt green liquid and proceeded to scoop a sample up with a small test tube.

Stashing the sample away, the tiger made his own hasty departure.

Zelia stood amidst the burning ruins on the lookout for another opponent. Then, she remembered Aero lying unconscious in a puddle of the green rejuvenation fluid.

And that snapped the dino out of her blind rage.

* * *

"I'll sacrifice my facedown card to summon 'Curse of Dragon', with ATK display of 2000." Janet called forth a yellow wyvern with red patterns on its wings and body. "With it the magic card 'Riryoku'. This has the effect of transferring half of one card's attacking score to another's for one turn."

In accordance with the spell's effect, the ATK of 'Curse of Dragon' dropped to 1000 while that of Red-Eyes rose to 3400.

"And I'll use this magic card I just drew, 'Premature Burial'. By using 800 LP, I can equip this card to a monster in my graveyard and return him to the field!"

There was a sudden roar as Sekata in his Blue-Eyes White Dragon form reappeared on the field. He let off another startled screech as Zoe put a claw on his shoulder.

"Welcome back tough guy." Zoe whispered.

"Ugh, that was a horrible experience." Sekata moaned, feeling the area around his throat. "But hey, it's good to be back too."

"Now you've got the highest ATK power Zoe." Janet called. "Hit him with your attack! Dark Flare!"

Zoe felt a sudden surge of power and fired a dark energy ball from her jaws. Arkane's 'Earl of Demise' was blown to smithereens, taking his LP down to 2200.

"And I'll have the 'Curse of Dragon' attack next!"

The allied wyvern launched a fiery breath that shattered the facedown monster card.

"Sekata, now you can hit Arkane directly!" Janet yelled excitedly. "And he's got no reverse cards to protect him! Go for it!"

"Hey ugly! Remember me?!" Sekata opened his mouth, a white flare charging up within. "Allow me to return the favor!"

His white flare created a blinding explosion, but when it died down, Arkane remained standing calmly with 2200 LP.

"How...?!" Janet stared. "That should've taken him down to zero!"

Her own LP score was already down to 1100.

"I may not have had any reverse cards on my field, but by discarding this monster, 'Kuriboh', I am able to neglect the damage done to my LP by one of my opponent's monsters." Arkane slid a card into his discard slot. "Also, the facedown card you destroyed was the 'Magician of Faith', whose special flip effect allows me to retrieve one magic card from my graveyard."

"Even though it's your turn now, there's nothing much you can do." Janet remarked. "You only have 2 cards in your hand and you can't draw this turn because you played 'Offerings to the Doomed' previously. We'll definitely finish you off on the next attack!"

"Ah, but this one is all I need, 'Treasure of Slashing Life' (Inochiketsuri No Nousatsu). This allows me to draw 5 cards now as long as I discard my entire hand 5 turns later."

Arkane gleefully took 5 cards into his hand, making a total of 6.

"Now, I'll invoke the magic card 'Heavy Storm' and destroy all magic and trap cards on the field!"

As he placed the card down, a huge tornado started brewing up. Janet had to crouch and dig her claws into the ground, while Sekata and Zoe covered their heads.

Everything including the 'Swords of Revealing Light' and the 'Yami' field would be destroyed. But that also meant that...

"Sekata!" Janet cried, horrified.

When the 'Premature Burial' card was destroyed, the monster it had been equipped to would be sent back to the graveyard.

"Rargghh!! Damn!!" Sekata screeched, still held in position by the unseen forces. "I don't want to go back in there...argghh!!"

However, his scream was cut off the moment the 'Premature Burial' card was knocked off the field. His body slowly began to disintegrate and faded away before the startled eyes of his companions, with the dragon struggling the whole time.

"Let me at him!! Garrghh!!" Zoe struggled furiously at her own bonds.

"Don't worry, he won't be gone for too long." Arkane smiled. "Allow me to show you the magic card I retrieved from my graveyard earlier, the 'Monster Reborn'!"

"Oh no..." Janet gasped. She'd just remembered that the 'Monster Reborn' could be used to resurrect a monster from **either** player's graveyard.

The towering form of Blue-Eyes White Dragon once again appeared on the field, this time on Arkane's side.

"Sekata?!" Zoe shouted. "What are you doing?! We're your friends, not him!!"

"Too bad. He hears and obeys only my voice now." Arkane waved a finger. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon...attack!!"

* * *

Zoe closed her eyes as the white flare flew towards their field. However, it hit the 'Curse of Dragon' instead, destroying the virtual monster.

Janet fell back in pain as the excessive 1000 damage (Blue-Eyes White Dragon's 3000 - Curse of Dragon's 2000) took its toll against her body. Her LP score dropped to 100 as well.

"But my turn isn't done yet, and I'll show you the instrument of your destruction!" Arkane raised 3 more cards. "Here, I will use the magic card 'Polymerization' to fuse 2 more Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards in my hand with this one on the field!"

"Sekata! No!!" Janet gasped, struggling to her feet.

The white dragon howled as the images of two more of his kin flew towards him. For a while, he bent over, clutching his sides in pain.

Then, two more heads burst of out his shoulders. Sekata's size increased twice fold, spreading his new massive wings as he became a 3-headed version of Blue-Eyes, know as Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK 4500).

"I can't attack any more on this turn, so I'll hand it over to you." Arkane finished.

"Sekata! Come on! Snap out of it!" Zoe yelled. "You can't let him control you like this!!"

"I don't think he could respond even if he wanted to." Janet told her.

"No, he does have some control." Zoe whispered. "Earlier on, when Arkane ordered the attack, he was definitely aiming for me. But Sekata redirected his attack to the 'Curse of Dragon' instead."

"It may have saved you, but it doesn't help us very much now." Janet looked down at her hand.

The only card she still had was a trap card, 'Metalmorph'. It had two effects: increasing the affected monster's ATK and DEF by 300, and was able to further increase the ATK by half of the target's ATK score.

Making a quick mental calculation, she realized that trap card's full effect would actually bring Zoe's ATK score of 2400 up to 4950 against Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's 4500. However, it being a trap card, she couldn't activate it immediately.

"Draw!" Janet pulled out another trap card, 'Neglect Attack', from her deck. It would allow her to block a single attack from an opponent. "I'll set down both these reverse cards and end my turn."

Body tense, Janet placed both cards down. There was still a chance they could get out of this.

"My turn." Arkane drew a card.

"Now, I activate my trap card, 'Metalmorph'!" Janet announced.

Zoe suddenly found herself equipped with a set of silver armor on her head and upper body.

"Interesting card, but I have this!" Arkane raised a card. "The 'Axe of Despair'. By equipping this magic card, a monster raises its ATK by 1000 points."

"Gugh..."

_The ATK of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is becoming utterly difficult to handle! Not only that, taking into account that half of his 5500 ATK is now 2750, added to Zoe's 2400 and 300 from 'Metalmorph'...it's only 5450! _

"Attack!" Arkane suddenly ordered.

"Jan!!" Zoe cried as the three heads of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon begun to light up.

"Activate trap card, 'Neglect Attack'!" Janet started, snapping out of her thoughts.

The air around Zoe shimmered as the triple flare bounced off and exploded in the air.

"Like I said, you're merely delaying the inevitable." Her opponent folded his arms. "Besides, even if you had the higher ATK, would you really have ordered one of your comrades to destroy the other?"

"Shut up! Garghhh!!" Janet clenched her fists. It angered her even more because she hadn't been thinking about it until he mentioned.

"Well, my turn's done." Arkane huffed.

_I've got nothing else in my hand, so everything depends on this draw... _Janet thought. _Come on..._

"My turn! Draw!" Janet brought up the card and flipped it over to have a look.

'_Creature Swap'...this magic card allows me to exchange one of my monster cards on the field with one of my opponent's. But the only 2 monster cards on the field are..._

"Jan...?" Zoe turned her head.

"I...I can't do this..." Janet said softly. "I can't choose to sacrifice one of you for the other."

_If I play this card, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon will be on my side and destroy Red-Eyes. But if I don't, he'll attack Red-Eyes anyway and I'll take more damage. _

"Sekata! Come on! I know you're in there!" Zoe's voice had no effect on the massive 3-headed beast.

"It's no use." Janet gritted her fangs. "I can't shield both of you from..."

_Shield...wait! That's it! _

"I feel a strange presence calling out to me." Zoe whispered. "Is there something in the deck that I can use?"

"There is." Janet snapped her fingers. "Listen Zoe, no matter what it looks like, you have trust that I'll keep my word to get you guys out of this."

"I have the feeling you're going to try something really crazy."

"Insane is more like it." Janet growled. "Hang on!"

* * *

Sekata felt like his mind was simply going to explode.

Being dragged in and out of the graveyard section had been traumatizing enough, with each one feeling like an extremely painful hit. However, having his body completely under his enemy's control and being transformed into a 3-headed beast was entirely out of his scope.

Trying to move, talk or even control his own breathing was all out of his control.

He hadn't felt this sense of helplessness since the time long ago when he'd first formed his pact with the Beast Spirit of Fire. It was a bad memory and Sekata shuddered at the thought of it.

Sekata was trying hard to focus, but having three heads, his vision was constantly shifting about. From what he could tell, Janet and Zoe seemed to have come up with a plan.

"I will now activate a special effect of 'Metalmorph'!" Janet declared. "When this card is equipped to Red-Eyes Black Dragon, it enables me to draw and summon this card from my deck!"

Zoe's body shone as a silvery metal slowly crept over it. Soon, her Red-Eyes Black Dragon form had become completely covered by the metallic armor, changing the dragon into a new, mechanical form of its former self.

"Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon, ATK score 2800!" Janet looked up, nodding to Zoe.

"A mere 2800?" Arkane wondered.

"And with it, this magic card 'Creature Swap'!"

_WHAT?? _Sekata thought.

In the blink of an eye, he was back on Janet's field, but this time facing Zoe on the other side. Sekata could feel his ability to move restored to at least some of his parts and he glared back and Janet...with all three of his heads.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He roared. The voice was still his own, but in triple. "How could you send Zoe over there?!"

He couldn't see Janet's eyes beneath her helmet, but from the way she stared back, she was determined to defend her decision.

"Sekata, this is the only chance we have to get out of this." Janet growled. "I need you to attack."

"Attack Zoe?! Have you lost your mind?! I'll never do that, not after what I almost did the last time I was out of control!!"

"You're gonna hate me for this. I order you to attack dammit!!"

"NNNOOO!! RRARRGGHHH!!" Sekata struggled like mad, but against his will, his body was being forced to move.

The white flares within the jaws of his three heads flashed.

"No! Wait!" Arkane panicked. "AArrgghhhh!!"

The blinding light tore through Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon, with the extra force going to Arkane (dealing 2700 damage) and taking his LP score down to zero. The Piedmon disintegrated with his scream echoing around the area.

The white energy bursts had stirred up a huge cloud of dust, and when that cleared, Zoe was still standing. She was back in the form of the regular Red-Eyes, shaking bits and pieces of shattered metal armor off her body.

"Wow I have to say that stung a little." Zoe grinned.

"Zoe! You're alive!!" Sekata stared.

"Didn't trust me, did you?" Janet walked up to him. "I said I'd protect her...with the armor of course!"

"I understand. You used the metal body of her second form to shield Zoe from the blast." Sekata laughed. "Sincerely, I did doubt you back there. I apologize for that."

"Oh think nothing of it."

The area around them suddenly flickered like a damaged TV screen. The surroundings were changing again.

* * *

When Janet managed to open her eyes again, she realized she was back in the old cavern. There were a number of noticeable differences this time.

The cave was much smaller than she'd first thought, and ended with a slight slope and some machinery at the rear wall. She was within one of three horizontal glass cylinders standing in front of a large computer and screen.

Sekata and Zoe, back to their 'normal' Digimon forms, had awakened in the other two cylinders. The trio broke their way out and stepped off the metal sections.

"Just where were we anyway?" Sekata wondered. "I don't remember this cavern looking like this before."

"This thing is like some sort of virtual reality system." Zoe spoke up. "It used holograms to lure us into those cylinders, then they could further change and manipulate our environment."

"They?" Janet asked. "And how did you know all that anyway?"

"Whoever designed this system and left it here." Zoe shrugged. "And I don't know. I just felt some contact from the intelligence programmed in here."

"The Arkane fellow?" Sekata turned towards her. "Perhaps he was the designer?"

"A ghost in the machine." Janet whistled.

"Well, something like that." Zoe held Sekata's claw. "As long as we're out of it."

"Uh-huh, I really didn't like taking up the steed of Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Sekata commented. "They way you all were dragging me in and out of the graveyards like that."

"Hey!" Janet whacked his side. "Be happy that you were so popular."

"And having three heads was the weirdest part." Sekata patted his shoulders. "I don't want to have to go through that again."

"So, we'd better unplug this thing for good!" Janet raised a familiar glowing blue flash in her hands. "Erase Claw!"

"X-laser!"

"Corona Blaster!"

As their energy bursts tore the cavern down, the group retreated out into the open.

"That's that." Zoe nodded.

"Hmm, I'm starving too." Sekata grumbled. "I feel like I haven't eaten in days."

"Erm..." Zoe looked down at her D-Dragon's screen. "That's because 2 days have passed..."


	33. With Broken Wings

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**With Broken Wings**

By nightdragon0

"Ugh..." Aero awoke to the sound of running water.

As his foggy vision cleared, the blue dragon realized he was lying on a soft patch of grass beside a stream. Parts of his body were wrapped in makeshift bandages of large palm leaves and some blue cloth. Those were all courtesy of the figure sitting nearby.

"You're awake." Zelia the Raptordramon walked over. "I'm glad."

"What happened?" Aero asked. "The base and all..."

"I trashed it." Zelia simply replied.

"But I see you got me out before you did."

"I owed you the favor." The raptor nodded. "I've been looking after you for the past 2 days."

"Wow, I was out that long?" Aero wondered. "That must've been a harder hit than I thought."

Aero shifted and realized there was a sour, acidic odor about his body. His bandages also carried traces of a strange green liquid.

"That's the same substance which was used on me." Zelia remarked. "It also seems to have some rejuvenation properties."

"I can certainly feel that." Aero moved his arms about and flexed his wings. "All the injuries I got in the battle seem to have been reduced to a bunch of minor bruises now.

"Hmmm..."

"What's wrong?"

"I've made enemies of my former masters." Zelia said softly. "But I do not entirely regret my decision."

"What will you do now?" Aero looked up.

"Don't exactly know. This is a new world to me and I come into it with nothing other than a bunch of foggy memories. I just know that those are real now."

"Why not seek them out? Sounds like a good quest to start on."

"Is adventure all you think about?"

"Hey, I'm that kinda dragon." Aero cocked his head and laughed. "Come on and hang around with us. Considering how often we bump into your old gang, some answers are going to pop up eventually."

"You do realize that I'm...different." Zelia gave him a curious glance. "And yet you offer your help so willingly?"

"The other dragons I deal with are kinda different too." Aero winked.

"So be it then." Zelia started to move, but suddenly dropped down to the ground.

"Zelia?" Aero touched the exposed scales on her neck and realized that her body felt rather hot. "Oh on!"

_This is what Mihiramon said about her body not being able to sufficiently cool itself. _He thought.

"Hang on, I'll get you some help." Aero glanced around the place.

_If I can figure out where you've dragged me to Zelia. _

* * *

For 2 days he'd waited, lying there in the room. Unable to move….a prisoner in his own body.

None of them had contacted him and not once had he heard his Digivice beep. There could've been a thousand and one explanations, he'd kept telling himself. But it just stuck in his mind that perhaps his friends had really left him for good.

Steve had never imagined that they would abandon him and the mere thought of it left his mind numb for hours.

Perhaps it had been through the manipulation of that voice from behind the curtain. Though Steve never saw him, they spoke a little. However, the voice was mostly bitter and full of anger.

The Swanmon nurse was around too, helping him with the basic things he could no longer do for himself. From changing his bandages to feeding his pathetic crippled dragon form.

She's taught him how to use a touch screen, which had him utilizing the only parts of his body he could still move. With his neck supported in a brace and a small rod held between his front teeth, he was able to navigate the computer and browse through the internet.

This was to be his miserable life from then on. However in the morning of the second day, Steve had stumbled upon a tidbit of information regarding a new treatment procedure which required testing. It was within his medical center and had a request going out for volunteers.

Hoping against hope, Steve had gone for it. The registration had involved a short survey and Steve actually found it a bit relieving to spill out his feelings onto the survey.

One question however, stood out. It had asked 'How much would you give up for a cure to your condition?'

Steve hadn't thought much before typing out 'everything' as his response.

By evening, the young dragon had learnt that he'd been selected. But from then on, things had gotten really out of hand. He was given an exceedingly large dose of analgesic drugs, sending his world into a blurry state.

He couldn't figure out right from left, but he did realize eventually that he'd been brought out, loaded into a van, and driven off to some unknown destination.

And that place, in which he now lay, was the inside of a warehouse.

_I should've suspected something from the way they drugged me, but….not like I could've resisted either way… _Steve thought grimly.

As more of his senses cleared out, Steve found himself lying stomach down on top of a hard wooden table. Some cables had been tired round his arms, legs and tail as well, all joining up to a large set of machinery nearby.

Things were going from bad to worse as the helpless Flamedramon cried out in panic.

* * *

"2 days?!" Sekata frowned. "Were we really trapped in that virtual reality world for that long?"

"Hard to say myself." Zoe muttered.

"No…Steve!!" Janet shook her head and took off running.

"Hey wait up!!" Sekata and Zoe sprinted after the Cyberdramon.

"Steve…he's in bad shape and now he's been alone for 2 days." Janet panted. "Damn, I already let him down once! I can't mess up again!"

"Calm down and try to control your emotions!" Sekata grabbed her should and pulled Janet to a halt.

"He's right, get a hold of yourself first." Zoe added in. "We're all worried about Steve, but it won't do him any good if you just go berserk."

"Yeah, you're right." Janet nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Aero's Digivice is with me. We found him missing too." Sekata explained. "But Steve's D-Dragon is with him right? Try contacting him."

"Uh, good idea." Janet raised her wrist-mounted D-Dragon. However, a sudden glimmer caught her eye. "Watch out!!"

In a flash, Sekata's Ryuukonken sword was out. The red dragon deflected a missile with a well-timed stroke, sending the explosive into a nearby tree. The resulting blast sent a shower of leaves down onto the forest floor.

"Grrrr…now I've finally found you!" A Metalgarurumon X, otherwise known as Metallix, dragged himself onto the scene.

His armor was dirty and muddy, with bits of leaves and twigs sticking out from the joints.

"Not you again!" Janet moaned. "Steve already blew your butt all the way to Timbuktu!!"

"Uh?!" Sekata and Zoe stared, sweatdropping.

"I'll explain later." Janet waved. "But this doggie isn't a friend."

"And I'm back girl! I'm here for that little Flamedramon friend of yours!!" Metallix hissed.

"Know what? I'll be happy your kick your tail on his behalf!!" Janet charged the armored figure just as he was about to fire a missile.

A swift roundhouse kick sent the missile from Metallix's gun arm flying harmlessly into the sky. Metallix let out a yell of pain and Janet followed up with a series of punches.

Metallix staggered back from the blows, but turned and landed an elbow strike, which sent Janet flying back with a sore chin.

Sekata moved in and attacked with his sword, forcing Metallix to break off his assault and block. Zoe drove a kick into their opponent's exposed left side and Sekata finished with a shoulder blow that had the wolf on his back.

"Give it up! You're outmatched!" Sekata declared, pointing his sword.

"Cocytus Breath!" The wolf fired off a breath of intense ice from his jaws, partially freezing a tree behind Sekata as the red dragon rolled away.

Sekata lashed out, though his strike was clumsy and easily countered. Metallix knocked the weapon out of his claws. The Ryuukonken spun through the air and impaled itself in the wood of the partially frozen tree.

The Vritramon flipped backwards and readied his arm blasters, but Zoe and Janet got into his line of fire when they moved in to engage. Sekata was forced to hold back his attack, but went for the tree and tried to pry his weapon loose.

However, he felt an odd energy burst building up with the sword and released his hold in surprise. Then came a howl of pain as Zoe was thrown against the tree, shattering the frozen parts of the trunk.

Hidden within the tree was an old stone monument….with a series of strange characters carved on its surface.

_Waypoint!_ Sekata thought, making another grab for the sword.

"Erase Claw!!"

"Cocytus Breath!"

"Sekata! Watch it!!" Zoe yelled as Janet's and Metallix's energy attacks collided.

Sekata was thrown roughly against the ground as the explosion blinded his surroundings. However, he briefly remembered the Ryuukonken glowing brightly amidst the chaos….

* * *

"Hey what's going on here?!" Steve called. "Garghhh!!"

His curiosity gave way to screams of pain as a sharp metal piece was jabbed into his back.

"Damn, he's awake already? Just hold his head down and keep him from screaming too much. He can't move the rest of his body anyway.

A furry paw slammed his jaws shut, leaving Steve to wince in silent agony while rows of metal pegs were stabbed into the flesh of his upturned back.

Each piece was in the shape of a 'T', with a single sharp downwards point and 2 flat ends. The sharp parts pierced through flesh and scale, right to the bones.

Multiple pieces were slowly and agonizingly placed into his elbows, shoulders, spine and legs.

The pain was extreme and his blood flowed freely, dripping off the table he lay on. However, Steve's muffled cries would be heard by no one other than his aggressors.

Finally, his head was released as the other Digimon moved to connect the metal spikes together using a series of wires. Steve instinctively wiggled his head about in vain.

"Just bear with the pain for a while." Mihiramon growled, moving into view. "It'll all be over soon."

"Grrr…whoever you are…if you want to kill me, you might as well get it over and done with!" Steve managed.

"Kill you? Us Devas will be giving you exactly what you desire kid." Makuramon bent over, staring Steve in the eye.

"You…." Steve gasped, recognizing the monkey Deva's voice as the one from behind the curtain.

"You want to be able to walk again. I definitely heard it from you." Makuramon continued. "We can restore that much desired trait. And the only thing we ask is that you do a little favor for us."

"What?! After your goons tried to trick me before?!" Steve snarled. "I'll never help you in your dirty schemes for anything!!"

"You say that with so much vigor." Makuramon casually juggled a syringe of green liquid. "You're the weakest link in your own party, and the others have always treated you as such. Even you have had to have seen that."

"Gargh! Shut up!!"

"But we can change all of that for you…"

"Shut up!!" Steve yelled again, wanting desperately to run. But he was quickly hit by the painful realization that his injury would not allow him to do so….never to run again for that matter.

"If he doesn't agree with it willingly, the process could fry his mind." Mihiramon cut in. "You remember there are complex ways about how brain waves work. He'll be no good to us without access to everything in his memories."

"Oh, but he already has agreed to it." Makuramon laughed.

"Huh?!" Steve staggered.

"Remember that little question you answered back in the hospital? How much would you give up for a cure to your condition?"

_Everything…_ The thought crossed Steve's mind. _That's why I…._

Makuramon must've taken his cue from Steve's sudden change in expression. For the next instant, the Deva flipped a nearby lever, sending an electrical current flowing through the Flamedramon's body.

As Steve howled in agony, he felt a slight prick, barely comparable to the electric shock. It was Makuramon, emptying the contents on the syringe into his back.

"That's is the last of the rejuvenation fluid." Mihiramon the tiger remarked. "This had better be worth it."

"Oh it will my friend." His fellow Deva replied. "It will."

"RRRRAAAARRGGGHHHH!!" Steve's screams echoed, reverberating off the four closed walls.

* * *

"Ughh…." Sekata moaned, opening his eyes. "Zoe?! Are you all right?"

"Yeah….I'm fine." Zoe rolled up from a supine position and allowed Sekata to help her to her feet.

Another groan told them that Janet was rising nearby, without more than a few scratches. They were still in the forest, it seemed, though it appeared much darker than before. And there was no sign of Metallix anywhere around.

"The map…." Sekata blinked, bringing up an area map onto his Digivice's screen.

"What about it?" Zoe queried.

"We are far off from our former position." Sekata pointed. "Very far off…"

The main continent the group had spent their days on was visible, however the current landmass on which they were located was an island near the edge of the world map.

"W…what the heck did you do with that sword of yours?" Janet muttered as she pulled herself to her feet.

"I have no idea." Sekata shook his head, lifting the weapon off the log it had fallen onto. "It probably had something to do with the Waypoint, but the sword just acted up on its own."

_No not entirely on its own. Could AncientGreymon have something to do with this?_

"How can you not know?!" Janet lunged forward and grabbed Sekata around the neck.

Sekata's hand instinctively came up and caught Janet beneath the jaws. However, she neither flinched nor released her grasp, and turned back to face Sekata with an angry growl.

"Stop it you two! This isn't a time to be at each other's throats!" Zoe, the shortest of the three, had to reach up and pull the two apart.

"She's right. You're extremely agitated right now." Sekata backed away. "Are you losing control over your Cyberdramon form?"

"No…I…ggarrghh!!" Janet clenched her fists.

"It's about Steve, isn't it?" Sekata said softly.

"Look, it just sticks in my mind about what the nurse told me about his condition." Janet threw her claws up.

"Is it very bad?" Zoe stepped forward. "All of us have been through a lot of rough times."

"No, for Steve….it's….that…he's…."

"Quiet!" Sekata snapped, making a hand gesture. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Zoe whispered.

"Listen…"

At that point, Zoe realized that there were absolutely no other sounds around. No cricking of insects, chirping of birds or croaking of frogs anywhere. Actually, there was a soft rustling of leaves, but it faded as abruptly as it had come.

Sekata had his arm-blasters ready while Janet glanced around, squinting in the dimly lit forest. Zoe was moving towards the pair and suddenly found herself leaping up with a cry of alarm.

A couple of vines running along the forest floor had come to life, slithering in a snake-like manner. Sekata sliced both apart as the vines lunged towards Zoe.

"What the…?!" Janet reached down and poked at the chopped vines with a claw.

The remains then moved again, swiftly wrapping themselves around her wrists.

"Urgghh! Garghh!"

"Hiah!" Sekata's claws tore the vines off in a swift stroke. The red dragon wasted no time in grabbing Janet's arm and dragging her away.

Frantically, the trio took off in the opposite direction, only to find more vines coming to life and blocking their path. The dragons made several lashes before deciding that their best course of action was to take another path.

"Here! This way!" Janet took the lead.

Vines were coming to life all around as they ran, shoving and cutting their way through the trees and undergrowth.

"Where are they coming from?!" Sekata wondered.

"Practically everywhere!" Zoe stared.

Indeed, more vines emerged from seemingly everywhere: the ground, the trees, plants….though it was difficult to tell their exact origin amongst the chaos of the forest. And the party was left wildly running, jumping and dodging to keep from being caught.

A quick glance towards the canopy ruled flight out as a path of escape due to all the moving vines above their heads.

Sekata was running in the middle of the group when an aggressive vine shot across the path and wrapped itself around his neck. Janet whirled around at his cry and used an Erase Claw to sever the lower part of the vine. Zoe quickly caught up and helped to pull the coiled vine off Sekata's neck.

Two vines went for Janet's feet and the black dragon somersaulted, blasting them apart in midair. Unfortunately, she landed in the wrong spot, and immediately had about 6 vines coiling themselves around her body.

"Help…mmhhhh….!!"

"Jan!" Zoe fired her X-laser to take some vines out of the way, but many more appeared to take their place.

"Move it now!!" Sekata grabbed Zoe and pulled her away from the scene, thrashing about in protest.

"JJJJaaaannnn!!"

"We won't be able to help her if we can't save ourselves first!" Sekata shouted, dragging the struggling XV-mon down another path.

He realized that the vines were thinning out and much to his relief, halted their assault once Zoe and himself had emerged into a clearing. There was a small bluff overlooking a narrow stream, where the pair dropped down, panting. Sekata estimated the size of the clearing was about half that of a soccer field, and it seemed that the vines couldn't reach far into it.

They were safe for a while, though the moving vines still lingered at the edges.

"You hurt?" Sekata asked.

"A few scratches. No big deal." Zoe managed. "But Janet…."

"I know." Sekata muttered grimly.

The tropical afternoon sun shone down onto their spot, revealing a clear way up into the sky. But Janet was still trapped in the forest….and there was no way either one would flee the area without her.

* * *

Zelia's weight didn't do much to help as the blue dragon trudged through the forest, his aching wings already too strained to continue flying with.

He somehow had the feeling that he'd been going round in circles and finally had to stop on the bank of a stream.

Panting, Aero lay Zelia down and checked over her. She seemed fine according to her system's analysis, though her body still felt rather warm.

Aero himself was covered in sweat and plunged his face into the stream. Letting off a short scream, Aero sprang up, realizing the water was almost ice cold.

"Arrgghh!! I…huh?!" Aero blinked. "Zelia! Get into the water!"

The blue dragon helped his companion move into the cold stream. Zelia barely had any reaction as she sat down on the shallow riverbed, with Aero reaching out from shore to hold her head above the water.

"This should help to cool you down." Aero explained.

Zelia remained silent for several minutes after, but she soon groaned and opened her eyes. She shifted her sitting position, with her head and neck above water, and watched curiously as some fish swam around her.

"How is it?" Aero asked, taking a seat on a large rock by the stream.

"It helps." Zelia nodded, eyeing the fish in the water. "Hmmm….I wonder how these taste?"

"I assume pretty good if you can catch…"

SNAP!! Zelia's head went underwater and came up with a fish in her jaws, which she promptly swallowed.

"Well, that works too." Aero laughed.

Zelia seemed fine for the moment and Aero's thoughts turned back to the navigational problems. He'd conveniently lost his Digivice after having transferred all of his original PDA's (Personal Digital Assistant) data to it. This basically meant that all his maps were on the Digivice and he didn't have much to work with.

But he hadn't really been thinking right either. Zelia had had him far too distracted for the past few days. Since they could stay at this position for a while, Aero decided that he could go airborne and scout out the area.

Zelia's startled scream however, served as an abrupt interruption to those thoughts. The raptor had taken a step too far into the deeper part of the lake. Its current was a lot stronger than she'd realized and Zelia had been swept off her feet.

"Zelia!" Resisting the urge to dive in after her, Aero took to the sky instead and followed as fast as he could.

Beating his wings wildly, he desperately glanced around for anything that might be of some help. The first few fallen branches looked too flimsy to be of any good, but Aero discovered a strong-looking one hidden in the bush. He wasted no time in ripping it out.

* * *

Struggle as she might, Janet could hardly move a muscle. The vines had coiled themselves all round her body, heavily restricting her movements. Her arms had been caught and pressed down by her sides, and her legs held firmly together.

Even with scales, the vines were horribly itchy too, causing even more discomfort to Janet. She couldn't even turn her head, although a small gap had been left around her right eye's area which allowed her to see a little of her surroundings.

The vines had dragged her body some distance and left her view facing the largest tree she had ever seen. No…it wasn't any normal tree, but the source of all the vines. Dozens of vines protruded from parts of the trunk, some lying on the surface while others dug beneath ground.

_This thing….it must be the one that's controlling the vines! I see how the vines seemingly came out of nowhere…but is this an animal or some highly advanced plant? _

The stone monument which marked the Waypoint was barely visible, lying at the base of the Ancient 'Tree', probably explaining why it had attacked them.

Janet suddenly felt that she was in a fully upright position. She felt cold water around her ankles and realized the vines wrapping around her body were pulling her feet under the soil….rooting her to the ground.

The dragon cried out in panic, desperately trying to free herself. All she got out of that however was a muffled cry and a little wiggle, which only caused the vines to tighten.

She then saw that she wasn't alone, for another figure was similarly entangled in vines and 'rooted' next to her.

_Metallix_?!

* * *

"Ow…damn that smarts…" Zoe winced as she washed a long cut on her arm with water from the stream.

"You can get it cleaned up later." Sekata added in. "But for those killer plants…."

"Sekata, don't say that."

"Sorry…that was a bad phrase to use." Sekata shook his head. "We'll get Janet back, after we…."

Just then his stomach let off a low rumble. The dragons they were now definitely needed a lot more food than an average human being, and considering neither had eaten anything in two days, the feeling was upsetting.

"Yeah, my stomach's protesting too." Zoe glanced around.

"I'd burn this whole damn place down if I had the strength."

"Not while Janet's still trapped in there."

"Grrr….I haven't got any other ideas."

Their area of safety was a circular plain surrounded by trees. In the very center was the raised section the pair sat on, with the stream flowing beneath their feet. Several small shrubs grew close by, though Sekata and Zoe sat an uneasy distance away.

In addition, the previously clear sky was getting dark, with thunder rumbling in the distance.

"Perhaps Aero had some data on this place. You have his Digivice right?" Zoe suggested.

"Here, take a look." Sekata handed the device to the female dragon.

"Let's see…." Zoe flipped scrolled through the screens. "I think I found it. It's known as the 'Dark Continent' and mentions about highly advanced plant life, but not too many details. This is a forbidden place apparently….no one dares to come here much."

"I can see why." Sekata knelt down beside a bush, which was covered with large, icy blue fruits. "Hmm…I recognize these. We had to deliver a shipment of them some time back."

Sekata ripped one off and raised it to his mouth.

"Wait! Those weren't for eating!!" Zoe protested.

"Gggarghh!! Rrarrgghh!!" Sekata howled.

The moment he bit into the fruit, the fire dragon felt chills shooting throughout his entire body. Frantically, he spat out the thick, viscous fruit juice, some of which hardened into ice crystals on his fangs and jaws.

"The Ice Fruits remember?" Zoe giggled. "Their juice is something like a miniature freeze bomb."

"Ugh…doww zzowld aa forrgettt?" Sekata moaned, kneeling over with his numb tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Hey, a freeze bomb!" Zoe snapped her fingers. "That gives me an idea."

* * *

"Grab onto this!" The blue dragon yelled, holding the branch out to her.

Zelia made a couple of swipes, both of which missed. Aero then moved in, hovering just above the water's surface, and tried again.

This time, Zelia got a claw around the branch. However, she suddenly turned her head up and shouted a warning.

Aero couldn't hear her, but the cause of her concern soon became apparent…..when his head smacked right into a fallen tree stretching across the river.

BAM! SPLOOSH!!

With a gurgled scream, Aero ended up in the freezing waters alongside the Digimon he'd been trying to save. His feet hit the rocky bottom and Aero kicked up, fighting hard to the surface for air.

_Damn! That was so stupid!! _He cursed silently.

He didn't have much time to lament about it however, as a thunderous roar soon drowned out all his thoughts. As the blue dragon's head blobbed to the surface, the dreaded sight of a waterfall loomed into view. Aero's mind raced as he struggled to find Zelia amidst the rapids.

He then felt a tight grip at the back of his neck as Zelia's jaws latched on to the skin there. With a metallic click, Zelia's wings spread out like a jet plane's. Aero was unsure of the slight humming until the pair abruptly shot forward.

Zelia had jets hidden beneath her wings, which she seemed to have activated, either in panic or desperation. However, she was also facing the wrong direction and propelled them towards the edge instead of safety.

There was no time for Aero to protest and the pair shot off the edge like a speed boat. The moment they were airborne, Aero's instincts kicked in.

He flipped his body around so that he was positioned above Zelia instead. While this allowed him to spread his dripping wet wings to break their fall, Zelia's fangs were still clamped onto the back of his neck.

The sudden movement resulted in a stabbing pain to Aero's mind, but he gritted his teeth as the two drifted slowly down to the plunge pool below.

Aero realized he now held Zelia in his arms. Zelia, in turn, sheepishly released her jaw's hold and stared into his eyes.

* * *

"Ready?" Zoe looked up.

"As I'll ever be." Sekata nodded. "I do think it's a little crazy."

"Well, you know what they say: sometimes crazy just works."

The pair carefully edged closer to the trees and away from their 'safe' area. Sekata held a leather pouch firmly under his arm, with a pile of Ice Fruits inside.

"Let's go then." Sekata growled, reaching for the fruit on the top.

Coincidently, Zoe reached for the same piece and their hands met on top of the fruit. For a moment, both glanced into each other's eyes, unsure of what to do.

"Uh…you go ahead." Sekata pulled his hand back.

"No, you take it." Zoe responded.

Another moment of awkward silence followed before Sekata found his voice. The thunder was louder now and the rains were beginning to fall, pouring in from the stormy clouds.

"Erm…about the thing that….I've been intending to say." Sekata began. "I…."

"You what…?" Zoe asked softly.

"It's just that…I…erm…really…" Sekata placed his claw over Zoe's. "Really…like…"

"Err…yes?"

"To say…" Sekata leaned closer.

The abrupt rustling of leaves caused both to spring up and grab a couple of fruits each. Alerted to their presence, the vines had started moving and attacking again.

"Take that!" Zoe hurled a fruit into the nearest vine.

The Ice Fruit splattered, splashing its juice on all the other vines close by. The result was that any of the vines touched by the juice begun to freeze and turn to ice, allowing Sekata and Zoe to shatter them easily.

"Hell! It's really working!" Sekata grinned, tossing more fruits about.

In the midst of leaping and ducking about, the two kept throwing the Ice Fruits and were able to make progress, moving back to the previous position Janet had been at.

"Jan! Where are you?!" Zoe yelled.

Soft muffled cries emerged from further in, barely audible amongst the chaos the pair was causing.

"This way!" Sekata jumped into the lead, both chewing and slashing vines apart.

A part of the trail was clear of trees, and that was where they found Janet, completely wrapped up and rooted down like a plant. She could apparently see them, for the moment Sekata and Zoe moved into view, Janet's struggling became more vigorous.

"Hold on Jan!" Sekata took up a fruit and moved forward.

A vine close to the ground moved and tripped Sekata up, sending the Vritramon spinning to the ground, spilling the fruits everywhere. Instantly, the vines converged on the fallen dragon, wrapping themselves around his body.

As much as Zoe wanted to help him, she couldn't….because more vines were coiling onto her too.

* * *

Lightning forked down and struck a tree in the distance. Thunder boomed and rumbled in the skies above. However, a lone figure stood out in the forest below.

He was The rain poured down, forming puddles in the muddy floor. Rainwater flowed down into his eyes, down his neck and chest.

_I never wanted something like this…_ Steve said to himself. _But why…?!_

Hours ago, he'd been critically wounded, doomed to be a cripple for the rest of his life. And yet he was here running….though not entirely on his own will.

_I wasn't thinking straight. I should've suspected something. But now it's too late to turn back…_

He didn't even know how he'd gotten here, but briefly remembered moving through some dizzying vortex.

Trees and other plants gave way to his slashing claws. His taloned feet made loud thumps as they moved.

He felt his tail swinging behind him, along with the heavy armor weighing him down and the wings folded behind his back, but tense and ready.

_Wait a minute? Wings?!_ Steve realized. _But this form feels different…it's not anything I've had before._

Then, the last of the trees fell before him as he emerged into a clearing. The sounds of battle came from close by, and his body dashed towards it with more vigor than ever before.

* * *

The more he squirmed, the tighter the vines seemed to become. Sekata was already exhausted, wet from the pouring rain, weak from hunger and now barely able to breathe. He could barely make out the screams of his friends, and was about to black out when his bonds were suddenly released.

Gasping for breath, Sekata dropped out of his 'wrappings' and rolled away to find himself face-to-face with a tall draconic knight.

The figure was clad in white armor with golden markings and a horned helmet to match the shape of his head. The knight also sprouted a pair of leathery blue wings and a large thick tail behind him.

_Dynasmon… _The name of the Digimon clicked into his mind. _But why? And friend or foe? _

As if to answer that question, the dragon knight picked up some of the dropped fruit, executed a fancy flip and tossed the Ice Fruits in midair. The still active vines were hit and frozen, including those that held Zoe and Janet captive.

Sekata was about to utter a word of thanks to their savior when Dynasmon abruptly shoulder rammed him, knocking the red dragon down.

"Hey! Wha…?!" Sekata snarled. "What's with you?!"

Dynasmon then raised his arms and fired two laser streams from the jewels within his palms. Sekata whipped up the Ryuukonken to block the attack.

The maneuver succeeded, but the attack's tremendous energy built up around the blade. Even shoving with all the strength he had left, Sekata just couldn't hold on.

"I can't lose….grrrrr…." Sekata whispered. "You….you won't beat me! Hyper Spirit Evolution... Kaiser Greymon!"

In a flash of light, Sekata emerged in his own armored dragon knight form. A furious slash dispersed the remains of Dynasmon's attack as Sekata straightened up.

"Not bad….but I'm better!" Sekata roared, changing.

Dynasmon simply started backing up and dodging his swings. In addition, the vines were still around and Sekata was forced to attack them as well.

Frustrated, Sekata jumped back and plunged his weapon into the ground.

"Kuzuryuujin!" (Nine-Headed Dragon Ranks)

At his command, a nine-headed fiery serpent arose from the ground beneath him, taking Sekata up into its body. Columns of fire shot out from everywhere, torching and burning the surrounding forest. The rain had begun dying down by this time, so stream hissed and revealed blackened ground where fire and ice had met.

However, Sekata was too weak to complete the entire 'spell' and dropped to the ground, panting. Dynasmon had seemingly disappeared and the vines wrapped around Sekata's comrades were burning away. Fortunately, the ice already on the vines prevented Zoe and Janet from being too badly burnt, though the same couldn't be said of Metallix.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!" The wolf wailed.

"Zoe! Jan!" Sekata sprinted over and pulled the pair to their feet.

"The Waypoint's that way!" Janet gestured weakly. "Think you can activate it?"

"I pray that I can." Sekata whispered as they ran.

"Hey! Wait! Don't leave me here!!" Metallix yelled after them. "Please!!"

A sudden hissing sound then reminded Metallix that he had a couple of sticks of dynamite in his 'pockets'. And all the fire around had easily ignited the sticks.

"Oh crap! Argh!!" Metallix fumbled around his storage compartments. "Where was i…."

BOOOMM!! With a long scream, Metallix was sent flying off into the sky, disappearing with a little twinkle in the sky.

His plight was completely ignored by Sekata's troop, who made their way to the stone monument.

"Come on! Please work!" Sekata held out his sword.

A glow from both the weapon and the stone gave the confirmation that something was in play. The trio kept up their pace of fleeing from the approaching vines and were drawn into a bright door of light.

* * *

"Garghh!!" Janet stumbled forward in the darkness of the night sky and right into someone's arms.

They had been transported back to the other end of the Waypoint, back on the main continent. This forest which they stood in now was far safer and quieter, but Janet took note of none of that.

Her entire focus was on the figure she'd stumbled into.

"STEVE?!"

"Hey, no need to shout. I'm not deaf you know." Steve waved his arms.

"But you were….you were…." Janet staggered.

"Sure I was injured. But I'm a lot tougher than that." Steve raised his shirt, showing off the scars on his Flamedramon chest. "Think something like this could keep me down for long?"

The three scars were there and Janet touched them to make sure.

"Good to see you're up Steve." Sekata cut in.

"Yeah, after you guys didn't show up for the last two days, I went out looking." Steve explained. "Luckily our D-Dragons all have trackers. Where have you all been?"

"Through hell." Zoe gasped. "Sort of, but it's a long story."

"Steve…" Janet knelt down. "I thought the nurse told me that you were…"

"I was what?" Steve asked curiously.

"No, forget it. Must be my imagination running wild." Janet clutched her head. "Too much messing with my mind is not good."

"Believe me, I know how that feels." Sekata said softly.

"Hm?" Zoe turned her head.

"Oh, it's nothing." Sekata replied, reverting back to his Vritramon form. "At least we all made it out alive again."

"Yeah, no kidding." Zoe whistled.

"Let's head back and get some rest." Sekata decided. "And some food too. I'm hungry enough to eat a dragon."

"And turn cannibal?" Steve nudged his ribs.

"Oh shut up."

As the group move off however, everyone failed to notice Steve's eyes. For a split second, his eyes showed signs of utter panic. It was as if he were a completely different person for that moment.

The next however, he was back to his regular self, listening intently to his friend's most recent adventures.


	34. The Day that Time Forgot

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Day that Time Forgot**

By nightdragon0

"Well I managed to get Steve's medical report from the hospital." Aero slid a data-pad across the table. "And his story definitely checks out."

"Hmm…he suffered some deep wounds, but the spikes missed seriously damaging any major bones or organs." Sekata browsed through the report, not understanding too much of the complicated medical terms on it.

"And the Swanmon nurse you claimed to have seen Janet. Well, all their staff were accounted for during those 2 days." Aero continued. "One of them looked after Steve, who remained unconscious until a few hours before he got up and went out to find you."

"I could've sworn one of them told me that Steve's condition was much worse." Janet, as Strikedramon, shook her head. "Perhaps it really was my imagination playing tricks on me."

"You're just badly shaken up." Aero put a claw on her shoulder. "Better take a few more days of rest."

Three days after their previous reunion and Steve's recovery, the party was finally back in their home base. It was late at night and the trio had gathered at the front desk.

Janet still felt uneasy about Steve's recovery and had insisted Aero gather the data from the medical center. However, it all turned out exactly as Steve had told them.

"Hey guys, what's going on here?" The aforementioned Flamedramon stepped in through the doorway.

"Oh just…" Aero started.

"Checking through some old stores." Janet cut in, quickly hitting the file's delete button and slipping the data-pad into her belt pouch. "Which reminds me, we've got to get that shipment ready for the delivery tomorrow."

"Those old vases right?" Steve gestured.

"Those are expensive." Sekata cautioned. "Don't go and mess around with them."

"We've got ya, don't worry." The smaller dragon laughed.

As Janet and Steve walked into the back room, Aero came up beside Sekata.

"He's really lucky to survive a blow from Arkadimon like that." Aero whispered, lowering his voice. "I dread to think of what could've happened."

"Indeed. And with the demon progressing as quickly as it has, especially in these few days that we've been distracted, it's going to be even more problematic." Sekata said grimly. "If that thing evolves again we're dead. We must each be at our all if we're going to beat it."

"That I agree with." Aero nodded firmly. "But we'd best think about it after a good night's rest. In the meantime, I've got my own charge to check on."

"Zelia?"

"Yup, who else." The blue dragon winked as he exited the room.

"I wish I had his confidence when it comes to expressing our feelings." Sekata said to himself. "Zoe…I really want to, but I'm just afraid of…"

Flicking through the screens on his Digivice, Sekata brought up the screen with the percentage counter, which he stared at for a long while.

* * *

"Hey Zelia, you in there?"

There was a jingle of the bells that hung on the bathroom's door as Aero entered. It was a standard white tilled room with facilities similar to one of human proportions. And in one corner was the large gray bathtub that Zelia lay in, covered up to her neck in ice.

"Zelia?" Aero asked from the doorway.

"Um…huh?" Zelia opened an eye. "Didn't hear you come in."

"Well, it's all right considering how deeply you sleep. Erm, if you consider it sleeping since…well…let's not go there."

"I'll say it again that you're an interesting dragon."

"Heh, I like to think of myself that way too." Aero strode forward and rested his arms against the edge of the bathtub. "How's the ice bath working out for you?"

"It helps." Zelia simply replied.

"At least we're able to control your body temperature problem." Aero raised a hand and stroked the raptor's cold snout.

Zelia didn't answer, but leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"Is this how it's always going to be? You know, with you here and…." Aero trailed off.

"What about it?"

"Oh nothing. Just babbling." Aero moved to leave. "Goodnight Zel."

The Aero V-dramon flicked off the lights, leaving Zelia to the silence and darkness of the room.

_But he is right. _Zelia told herself. _Once I start down my chosen path, just how long will I remain here in this world? I am already past my due time, but…just too many buts, how's and why's._

* * *

"Ok, set it down here." Janet huffed. "There!"

Steve and herself carefully lowered the last vase into a crate packed full of straw. Close by were three more wooden boxes stacked on top of each other. The crate they were now packing would be the fourth and last box.

"Whew…yeah. You said it." Steve muttered, wiping his brow. "Hey Sekata, you missed all the fun."

The Vritramon had just entered the room and glanced down at the boxes.

"Not like there was much to pack. Zoe did a pretty good job on that earlier." Janet added in.

"Why don't the two of you take a break?" Sekata suggested. "I can finish up here on my own."

"That'll be cool." Steve smiled, patting the rim of a vase with his hand. "By the way, what are these things for anyway?"

As he did that however, Steve also dropped a small, circular metal talisman into the vase. Drumming his fingers against the vase created enough noise to drown out the sound of the metal disc hitting the vase's bottom.

"A mid-autumn festival in the neighboring town apparently." Sekata explained. "Not too sure what the ones in the Digital World are for, but it has to do with bringing good luck."

"Everything does, they say." Steve shrugged. "Well Jan, how about a drink?"

"Sounds good." Janet gave a thumbs-up. "See you tomorrow Sekata."

"I'll finish this up then." The red dragon grunted, grabbing a hammer to nail the crate shut.

During the motion, his claw briefly touched the same vase Steve had dropped the talisman into. For a split second, Sekata's body glowed with purple energy, and then it was gone. The dragon himself passed it off as nothing.

Janet too had her back to Sekata and failed to notice anything, but Steve knew exactly what was happening and turned away with a smirk.

"It's all been set in motion now, just like they wanted it." He whispered to himself.

* * *

**The next morning…. **

"Rise and shine Sekata!" Cimons the Dorugamon called cheerfully, pushing the door open.

"Ugh…five more minutes…" Sekata moaned, rolling over to his side.

"Come on buddy!" The purple furred dragon leapt onto the other side of his bed and started bouncing. "Wakey wakey!"

"Go away…" Sekata growled.

"Grrr…you asked for it then!" Cimons jumped off the bed and threw open the curtains.

The bright morning sun streamed in through the window and right into Sekata's face, causing him to sit up and rub his eyes.

"Finally." Cimons heaved. "You're supposed to be delivering that shipment today."

"Damn….what time was it again?"

"Well, you've got to leave in half an hour if you want to make the delivery on schedule. Or you need someone to relieve you again?"

"No, I'll get this one done. Let me get my gear on and I'll be there."

"Don't take too long." Cimons reminded him as the Champion Digimon exited the room.

Sekata dragged his dragon body out of bed to where his body armor and helmet lay. The sections he generally removed when he slept included the shoulder pads, arm-blasters, helmet and breastplate.

He caught a glimpse of his bare chest in the mirror. The chest and belly section were white while the rest of the scales on his body matched the deep red coloring of his armor.

Feeling a little grumpy as not having had a good sleep, Sekata stretched his 'feathery' wings, whipped his tail about and cracked his head from side to side. He'd had some sort of nightmare the previous night, but like most cases, simply couldn't recall exactly what it'd been about.

Shoving the thoughts out of his mind, Sekata quickly strapped his armor on. No matter how he disliked it, it was time for another day of work.

The Ryuukonken sword hung on the wall, an ominous reminder to Sekata about everything that had happened to him in the past few months. On this day however, he simply left it hanging on the wall.

* * *

Sekata trudged down the stairs to a familiar scene. The dining room which he'd just entered consisted of a large wooden table in the center, several chairs surrounding it and a couch in the back.

"Hey there!" Zoe waved.

The female XV-mon was seated at the table, with Steve across from her and Aeromaru next to Steve. Sekata raised his hand and was about to respond when he felt a slight gust of wind behind him.

Seconds later, Adrian the Airdramon rushed by, knocking Sekata to the ground as he whizzed past. The serpent-like dragon's mouth was full of something, which soon became apparent by Janet, in Strikedramon form, running into view.

"Grrrr….those were my pancakes you little thief!!" She fumed. "Give em' back!!"

Completely distracted, Janet stomped on Sekata's tail as she ran past. The affected dragon let off a yelp of pain that went completely ignored by the duo in pursuit.

"Na-ah!!" Adrian grunted with his mouth full. "I saw em' first!"

"Don't make me go Cyberdramon on ya!!" Janet threatened.

"Just try it!!"

"Sheesh, and you guys call me the immature one." Steve sighed as the two disappeared into the next room.

"Thanks for your concern!" Sekata yelled sarcastically after Janet and Adrian.

"How's your tail?" Zoe asked.

"Oh it's a little sore, but nothing to worry about." Sekata replied.

Katsu the Shadramon was the next to enter the scene, with a wide grin on his face.

"Aero, I've finally got one that you won't be able to figure out." The bug smirked.

"Oh really? Bring it on." Aero challenged.

"A mon rides 15 hours on a Raindramon." Katsu recited his riddle. "Then after a 1 hour break, completes his trip in another 14 hours…all on Sunday. How is this possible?"

"Erm…hmm…." Aero began drumming his fingers nervously against the tabletop.

"Give up?"

"No, I just need more time to…."

"Because Sunday is the Raindramon's name, heh." Katsu winked.

"Grrr…I knew that…" Aero muttered.

There was a heavy thumping of footsteps as Zelia entered the room as well, drawn by the sweet aroma of the food on the table. Unfortunately, Janet and Adrian came back in the midst of their 'tag game' and ran right into Zelia.

Zelia was thrown off balance and lurched forward, right onto the table. Her weight had the effect of crushing the wooden piece of furniture, along with all the food beneath it. Everyone let off long moans while Janet and Adrian sweatdropped.

"I think I'll pass." Sekata decided to make his leave, but grabbed a fallen apple as an afterthought.

"Everything's on that hovering platform over there." Katsu gestured.

The crates had been stacked and tied on top of a flat metallic device. It basically functioned as a hovering trolley and was used to facilitate transportation of heavier equipment.

Sekata activated the hover platform by pushing a button on its remote control, and then proceed to push it out the door. He barely gave a thought about the events in the dining room, for those were everyday things to him by now.

* * *

Sekata made his way through the bustling market town and arrived at the Trailmon station with plenty of time to kill before his train was due to leave.

He found himself waiting beside his cargo outside one of the station's storage bays. It was a large gray warehouse with its main doors open and stacks of boxes nearly neatly arranged within. The building he stood before was in a fenced up area of the compound, surrounded by rows of many similar structures.

_Whoever was supposed to meet me here is certainly taking his time. _He thought unhappily.

The dragon was still munching on his apple and absentmindedly leaned his weight against the nearest crate's lid.

Crunch! A small hole the size of his fist appeared in the wooden piece.

"Damn…" Sekata frowned.

"Help!! Gargh!! Stop him!!" A sudden scream rang out. "Thief! Stop him!!"

Sekata slammed his partially eaten apple down on top of the broken crate and looked up. Unbeknown to him, the apple rolled into the hole in the cover and fell into one of the vases inside.

A humanoid robed figure was running across the alley between the buildings, holding a brown knapsack in hand. He was Astamon, an Ultimate level demon type Digimon.

His body was clad in a gray and red cloak, covering what one could describe as a blue 'business suit' with white stripes visible beneath. He had a pair of bat-like wings on his back and wore a bat-shaped mask on his head, leaving just his mouth and his long white hair exposed.

Following close behind was a familiar Digimon, a Renamon. Sekata remembered Luna the Renamon from the visions of Rodi's youth, except this one here was far less graceful. In fact, her face was red and flushed with exhaustion as she ran.

Astamon was facing backwards and sneering at the Renamon when Sekata abruptly stepped into his path. With a loud thud, the smaller spellcaster rammed into his armored dragon form and was thrown against the ground.

"Not very nice bullying little girls." Sekata growled, intimidatingly folding his arms.

"Gurgh…." Astamon staggered shakily up.

Renamon had caught up by this time and launched herself into a flying kick. Astamon suddenly hurled a fistful of powder into Sekata's face, causing the dragon to stagger backwards. The agile figure moved away the next instant….leaving Renamon's flying kick to brush past and hit Sekata in the groin.

"RRRAAARRGGHH!!" Sekata roared, tumbling backwards.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!!" Renamon gasped.

Snickering, Astamon ran into the nearest warehouse via its open door.

"Urghh….that hurt…" Sekata moaned, clutching his groin area.

"Are you…" Renamon began.

"As long as I get my claws on him!" Sekata growled, giving chase.

Astamon's fleeing form was visible across the street, but something else got Sekata first.

"Ooofff!!"

"OWW!!"

Sekata ran right into that path of another Digimon, a dragon type Champion known as Gin Ryuumon. To describe this dragon, one could consider it a quadrupled-type, though he was able to stand on just his hind legs. His scales were all a light orange in color, except for the white lining around his jaws.

The rest of his body was covered in samurai style armor, colored primarily in black, with red shoulder and thigh pads, and a purple neck piece. The dragon had a muscular built and a long tail, although he lacked any kind of wings.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you fruitcake-eating dragon!!" Gin Ryuumon yelled angrily, picking himself off the floor.

"Jerk! You ran into me first!" Sekata protested furiously.

"No, it was you!" Gin Ryuumon jabbed a finger at his chest. "And by the way, the name's Raynor, you Psychotic oversized red lizard!!"

"Enough with the name calling dysfunctional dumbass!" Sekata lost his temper.

"Demented freak of nature!!"

"Hey!! Will you two please stop fighting!!" Renamon ran between them and cut in.

That was when Sekata noticed that their original quarry had completely disappeared from view.

"Damn, he got away."

"Nevermind about that." Renamon said with concern. "As long as you're all right. But thanks for trying to help."

"Don't mention it." Sekata nodded. "But can't you just teleport after him? You Renamon can do that, correct?"

"Erm, forget it. He's not worth the trouble."

"Are you sure about…"

"There wasn't anything important in that bag anyway. Just a bunch of my sister's funny powders." Renamon shrugged off his query.

"What about me?! Raynor interrupted. "You're supposed to be…"

"SHUT UP!!" Renamon lashed out with a groin-directed kicked, followed by a punch to the dragon's face, knocking him out cold. She then dragged Sekata back into the warehouse.

"That's certainly one way to do it." The Vritramon laughed.

"Hmmm…you must be Sekata right?" Renamon scratched her head. "I was supposed to meet up with a tall red dragon of sorts. Here, luckily I didn't put this in the bag."

The fox pulled out a folded up piece of paper from beneath her right glove and showed it to Sekata. It was an order form with all the details of his cargo.

"So, you're the one…" Sekata trailed off.

"Why? Were you expecting some muscular, rowdy Digimon." She folded her arms.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! I mean, I know females that do heavy work too."

"Hey relax buddy, I was just pulling your arm, if you get my drift." She winked. "Call me Paige."

"Well nice to meet you. But business-wise, what do you need me to do with all this then?" Sekata gestured towards the crates.

"Oh, not much at all." Paige grinned.

* * *

The day seemed to breeze by rather quickly. Sekata helped bring the cargo onto the train and went with Paige to her town.

Paige explained a little about the festival, which Sekata barely paid attention to. For the entire time he was on the train, he just felt like something was….missing somehow. But no matter how he tried, he just couldn't recall it.

He was forced to put the feeling out of his mind when they arrived at the town. There, Sekata met Paige's sisters, a Taomon and a Sakuyamon, the Ultimate and Mega evolutions of Renamon respectively. They were also the priestesses who would be conducting the ceremony.

The sisters invited him to stay for the lunch reception after the ceremony and Sekata accepted as a gesture of politeness.

The ceremony itself was held in a large courtyard in front of the town hall. Before long, the place was packed with Digimon of all shapes and sizes, watching intently as the two priestesses begun their ritual dances on a flower-decorated stage.

It reminded Sekata a lot of the traditional practices he'd seen back in his actual world, the human world, and his thoughts wavered. Thinking about home wasn't always pleasant and he'd tried to avoid it as much as possible.

Sekata was currently seated in the shadows of an adjacent building, watching the process from afar.

"Hey there…"

Sekata started to find Paige standing in front of him.

"Oh, it's you." He muttered. "Shouldn't you be helping your sisters backstage?"

"Nah, I'm not old enough yet." Paige shrugged. "Besides, I'm not really interested in all this silly business."

"But it's a family tradition, isn't it?"

"Great, now you sound just like my sisters. Always this and that about traditions and…"

"Shh…look there." Sekata suddenly whispered.

Lurking in the shadows across the street was a robed figure, recognizable as Astamon.

"That guy…" Paige gasped. "Wasn't he the one from earlier?"

Astamon spotted the pair staring and immediately took off running.

"He just gave us the confirmation." Sekata growled. "Hang on, I'm going after him!"

"Wait! But…." Paige was unable to complete her sentence as Sekata dashed out of view.

The robed Digimon sprinted into a side alley, not making use of the wings on his back.

_He must have something planned. _Sekata thought. _Well, I'd better get a head start. _

Leaping up, Sekata bounded up the side of an 8-story building and spread his wings. He caught an updraft and soared, flying across the rooftop.

Astamon was still running below, constantly looking back over his shoulder. He didn't even seem to suspect Sekata was in fact, perched on the roof above his head. With a roar, the red dragon leapt down onto the street level and into Astamon's path.

The demon simply smirked and changed directions, kicking a door open and running into the building whose roof Sekata had flown over.

"Hey! Get back here!" Sekata yelled, frustrated.

He charged through the door and was immediately hit in the face by a can of white paint. The lid was off and the paint splattered everywhere, including all over his face and body.

* * *

"Rarghh!!" Sekata howled in fury.

"Hmmm…you're persistent." Astamon muttered in a cold and calm voice.

The area inside was filled with all sorts of machinery in a single room that encompassed most of the building. Sekata guessed that it was a metalworks factory from the sight of things.

"I'm more than just that!" Sekata leapt towards his foe, who stood on a raised platform on the second level.

"Hargh!" Astamon somersaulted away and tossed a couple of daggers at Sekata.

The dragon swung his claws and knocked the knives away, only to see Astamon fleeing further into the factory.

Sekata regained his momentum by bouncing off a piece of machinery and landed feet-first on the second level. His talons made loud clangs on the metal catwalk as he charged.

Astamon placed his hand on the butt of some weapon hidden by his side, pausing for a moment too long. That allowed Sekata to catch up and grab his opponent from behind. The humanoid demon leaned his weight forward, throwing Sekata off balance. The dragon rolled forward as Astamon thrust a kick into his face.

Sekata managed to catch his foe's leg and heaved, throwing Astamon across the catwalk and in the direction back towards the door. The metal catwalk creaked in protest as the demon landed with a loud clang.

"Sekata!!" Paige's voice called from the doorway.

As the railings begun to give way, Astamon whipped out his weapon and rammed the metal bindings.

"No! Paige watch out above!" Sekata warned.

The part of the catwalk behind him fell and smacked into Paige's head, knocking her unconscious.

"Paige! Rargh!!" Sekata was momentarily distracted by the kitsune's injury and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side.

The weapon Astamon had was a sniper rifle, which had just plugged an armor-piercing bullet into the left side of his stomach.

"Worry about yourself first." Astamon grinned.

"B#&tard!" Sekata hissed, raising his arm-blasters to fire.

Astamon's reaction was faster, sending a bullet into his right thigh. Even as Sekata hit the ground howling, his platform shook and gave way when the sniper shot it out. Sekata was hit by the metal catwalk and forced down into the narrow passage below.

CLANG!! His ears rang as he hit the cold metal floor, with the platform slamming down on top of him. Sekata was too dazed to realize that he'd fallen right into one of the machines until he heard the grinding of gears.

The four walls were all covered with spikes and had started to close in. Cursing under his breath, Sekata tried to fly out through the opening at the top….only to find his tail and right leg caught amongst the tangle of metal.

Furiously struggling, Sekata used his blasters lasers' to burn through the twisted metal pieces. The walls just kept closing in and were suddenly at his back. Sekata panicked and lost his balance, falling forward against the ever-twisting metal catwalk remains.

Both his arms ended up pinned beneath the mess as the walls closed in. Sekata was struggling in wild desperation, unknowingly screaming in pain from the spikes jabbing into his body.

_My sword.…need Kaiser Greymon… _

Much to his horror however, Sekata realized that he'd left his Ryuukonken weapon back in his room. His vision was blurring out, the world covered with black and red patches as his body went numb.

_Noooo!! Rarghh…nooo… _

* * *

"Rise and shine Sekata!" Cimons the Dorugamon called cheerfully.

"RRRargrghhh!! Garrghh!!" Sekata sprang up screaming.

"Whoa! Dude!" The purple furred dragon jumped back in fright.

"Damn…just a dream. That was just a dream…" Sekata panted, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Sounds more like a nightmare." Cimons leaned closer to his face. "What was it about?"

"Ugh…don't really remember."

"Aw, come on…."

"Grrr…don't push me!" Sekata hurled a pillow into the Champion Digimon.

"Ow, hey don't be such a grouch." Cimons sighed. "Well, just remember about that delivery you're supposed to make today."

"Delivery?"

"The one you have to make in half an hour, remember?"

"Didn't I do one, what? Yesterday?" Sekata whispered.

"Hmm?" Cimons asked.

"Nothing." Sekata quickly shook his head. "Let me get my gear on and I'll be there."

"Don't take too long." Cimons reminded him as he exited the room.

Sekata dragged his dragon body out of bed to where his body armor and helmet lay. He caught a glimpse of his bare chest in the mirror before stretching his 'feathery' wings. He also whipped his tail about and cracked his head from side to side.

As he was strapping his gear on, Sekata's eyes fell upon his Ryuukonken sword on the wall. Sekata didn't have any plans on taking it out today, but some odd feeling just urged him to bring it along as well.

* * *

Sekata trudged down the stairs to a familiar scene….the dining room.

"Hey there!" Zoe waved from the table where Steve and Aeromaru were seated.

_This seems….rather familiar…_

WHAM!! Adrian rushed by, knocking Sekata to the ground as he whizzed past. Sekata instinctively pulled his tail back onto the stairs, just as Janet, in Strikedramon form, came running past.

"Grrrr….those were my pancakes you little thief!!" She fumed. "Give em' back!!"

"Na-ah!!" Adrian grunted with his mouth full. "I saw em' first!"

"Don't make me go Cyberdramon on ya!!" Janet threatened.

"Just try it!!"

"Sheesh, and you guys call me the immature one." Steve sighed as the two disappeared into the next room. "By the way, nice evasion move there Sekata."

"Yeah, thanks. Though I felt like I'd done it before somewhere." Sekata shrugged.

"Aero, I've finally got one that you won't be able to figure out." Katsu entered the room, smirking.

"Oh really? Bring it on." Aero challenged.

"A mon rides 15 hours on a Raindramon." Katsu recited his riddle. "Then after a 1 hour break, completes his trip in another 14 hours…all on Sunday. How is this possible?"

"Erm…hmm…." Aero began drumming his fingers nervously against the tabletop.

"Cause….Sunday is the Raindramon's name?" Sekata cut in.

"Wha…how'd you know that?!" Katsu stared in shock.

"Even a dragon as dull as Sekata knew that one." Steve laughed. "You have a lot to work on Katsu."

"Garghh! I hate this!" Katsu moaned, clutching his head. "Man, how'd you know that one Sekata?"

"I…don't know." The dragon replied, taking a seat at the table. "Haven't you told us that one before?"

"No way! I just got that off…ohh nevermind where I got it from."

There was a heavy thumping of footsteps as Zelia entered the room, glancing curiously around. Something clicked in Sekata's mind and he remembered Janet and Adrian. Already he could hear the shouting form the adjacent room.

"Watch out!" Sekata jumped up and pulled Zelia back, just in time to avoid colliding with the speeding duo of Janet and Adrian.

"Thank you." Zelia said softly.

"No problem. I faintly remember you being hit the last time though."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, forget about it." Sekata shook his head. "I'll get going first because I don't want to be late."

Sekata grabbed an apple out of a nearby bowl and made his way towards the hover platform that was loaded with the crates.

_All this also seems….like it has happened before. No, it couldn't be. _Sekata told himself.

* * *

Sekata felt quite uneasy as he made his way through the busy town streets and to the Trailmon station. He was early and ended up waiting with his cargo outside one of the station's storage bays.

He quickly finished his apple and tried to remember the details of his 'dream'. Currently, Sekata stood in the gray fenced-up compound with multiple warehouses all around.

_Didn't something happen around this time? Yes…I think it was… _

The red dragon walked around a corner just as a scream rang out.

"Help!! Gargh!! Stop him!! Thief! Stop him!!"

Dashing towards the source of the noise, Sekata spotted an Astamon running, holding a brown knapsack in his hand. Following close behind was a Renamon, who was already panting.

"Hey you! Hold it!" Sekata shouted, stepping into view.

Astamon halted in the middle of the alley, with the Renamon quickly catching up behind him.

"Gurgh…." Astamon took a step back.

The demon man's hand suddenly moved and Sekata ducked, barely avoiding a fistful of powder tossed into his face. Sekata tackled the shocked Digimon, though his foe was able to regain his balance.

Unfortunately, Astamon stumbled into Renamon's path. She was moving too fast to stop and jumped over both Astamon's and Sekata's heads.

The yellow fox landed behind Sekata, one foot stamping down on a carelessly discarded wooden pole. And Sekata just happened to be standing over that pole with his legs apart.

"RRRAAARRGGHH!!" Sekata roared as the pole flew up and caught him in the groin area.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!!" Renamon gasped.

"Paige! Can you watch what you're doing?!" Sekata snarled angrily.

"Huh? How'd you know my name?" Paige wondered. "Oh! You must be my contact!"

"Worry about that later! He's getting away!" Sekata pointed towards the fleeing Astamon. "After him!"

"Are you sure you're all…"

"Grrr…come on!" Sekata forced himself up despite the pain and gave chase.

Astamon had run into an open warehouse and Sekata saw him escaping through the side door and across the busy road. Sekata followed, but…

"Ooofff!! Dammit!!"

"OWW!!"

The red dragon ran right into that path of another Digimon, a dragon type Champion known as Gin Ryuumon. Both of them were thrown to the floor and sat there staring at each other.

"Wait a minute! You're that Ryeen, or Ryan or something like that." Sekata gasped.

"It's Raynor, and it seems you've heard of me." The Gin Ryuumon huffed. "But what the heck did you think you were doing charging into me like that you…"

"Fruitcake-eating dragon?" Sekata asked.

"Wha….how'd you know I was going to say that?" Raynor stared.

"I don't know…"

"What do you mean by that?!" Raynor snarled, grabbing Sekata's shoulders. "You psychotic …."

"Oversized red lizard?" Sekata queried.

"Huh? What the hell is…" Raynor staggered.

"And demented freak of nature?" The Vritramon continued.

"Hey! Let go of him!" Paige abruptly pulled the samurai dragon's tail and spun him around. "Hargh!!"

"Guwwwargh!!" Raynor was left rearing back from the groin kick Paige threw at him. "Son of a b#&ch!!"

"You!! Grrr!!" Paige fumed.

WHAM!! The unfortunate dragon was knocked out by a swift punch to his lower jaw.

"Crap…" Sekata glanced around. "Astamon got away…"

* * *

_I'm starting to feel so sure now that all this has happened before. _Sekata was lost in thought.

Paige's two sisters were the priestesses in-charge of the ceremony. The two were on a stage in a large courtyard, performing their ritual dances on a flower-decorated stage. Of course, dozens of Digimon had turned up for the ceremony and for the lunch reception later on.

Sekata was currently seated in the shadows of an adjacent building, when he looked up to find Paige approaching him.

"Hey." She waved. "You heard me coming? Guess I'm not as silent on my feet as I thought I was."

"No, I sort of knew you'd show up." Sekata shook his head. "By the way, I was meaning to ask…"

"Yes?"

"Couldn't you have teleported after that Astamon thief earlier? Or perhaps you could do that if we happen to run into him again."

"Erm…well…I can't really do my warping trick yet." Paige admitted. "It's a little difficult to master and I haven't really put in the effort."

"Wait…over there!" Sekata pointed.

Lurking in the shadows across the street was a robed figure, recognizable as Astamon.

"That guy…" Paige gasped. "Wasn't he the one from…"

"Earlier? Yeah." Sekata sprang up. "Come on, let's go after him!"

Astamon spotted the pair and immediately took off running. Their quarry sprinted into a side alley, not making any use of his wings at all.

"Keep on his tail, I'm going over the building to cut him off." Sekata instructed.

"Got it." Paige nodded.

Sekata repeated his maneuver of jumping up and flying over the rooftop. Astamon was more distracted by Paige chasing him that he didn't notice Sekata coming in for his landing until the last moment.

However, the agile demon executed a sliding maneuver and skidded in between Sekata's legs, leaving Paige to crash into him.

"Urgh…damn…" Sekata moaned as Astamon kicked a door open and entered.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Paige gasped.

"Forget it and let's just follow him." Sekata replied, barging through the half open door and tearing it off its hinges in the process.

A can of white pain suddenly came flying towards his head. Sekata ducked, but the can hit Paige's face and knocked her out cold.

"Hmmm…you're persistent." Astamon muttered in a cold and calm voice.

"Rarghh!! You'll pay for that!!" Sekata howled in fury.

Sekata recognized it as the same metalworks factory from the one in his 'dream', and leapt towards his foe, who stood on a raised platform on the second level.

"Hargh!" Astamon somersaulted away and tossed a couple of daggers at Sekata.

Sekata swung his claws, attempting to knock the daggers away. However, unlike his 'dream', the daggers actually pierced right through his gauntlets, going through his palms. Not only that, the wounds gave off a burning sensation that had Sekata howling in pain.

His pounce went completely off course and the red dragon slammed into a piece of machinery. Sekata toppled down and onto a moving conveyer belt.

He was too stunned at first, but eventually Sekata realized the machine had brought him beneath some sort of compressor, meant to nail two metal sheets together. One sheet was held up on its flat surface and the other one….was beneath Sekata's body.

BAM!! The upper piece came down before he could move and fastened the two metal sheets together, trapping Sekata in-between. The machine didn't break any bones in his strong mass, but it certainly knocked the wind out of him.

All Sekata had sticking out was his head on one end and the end of his tail at the other.

"Rrarghh!! Garghh!!" Sekata struggled in vain. He wasn't able to do anything…whether move or reach any of his weapons.

However, another grinding sound alerted Sekata to an even more horrific sight. A green laser beam was being used to trim and cut away any uneven ends of the metal sheets….and his head was right in its path.

"Nooo!! Rarrrggghhh!!" Sekata cried in panic.

The dragon was sure he'd heard Astamon laughing. However, there was nothing else Sekata could do as the laser cut his head from his body.

* * *

"AArrgghh!!" Sekata sprang up, dripping with sweat.

He was back in his own room, lying on his bed. There was no battle, no factory….nothing. All the various pieces of his armor and weapons were at their usual positions in his room.

"I…I don't understand…" Sekata muttered, feeling around his neck just to make sure that his head was properly attached.

"Rise and shine Sekata!" Cimons the Dorugamon called cheerfully, pushing the door open.

"Hey I'm up already!" Sekata yelled, tossing a pillow at the purple furred dragon.

"Fine, no need to be such a grouch." Cimons waved. "Just to remind you about delivering that shipment today."

"I've got it all right? Just leave me alone for a while and I'll see you downstairs."

"Don't take too long then." Cimons called as he exited the room.

"All this…this has happened before." Sekata shook his head once he was sure Cimons was gone.

The unarmored Vritramon got out of bed and examined himself in the mirror. There were definitely no scars around his neck from the laser, nor any stab wounds from spikes in the metal compactor.

"I don't believe this…" Sekata said to no one in particular. "But the day is repeating itself!"


	35. Yesterday Again

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Yesterday Again**

By nightdragon0

"Grrr…there has to be some explanation for this." Sekata muttered. "But those two times, I messed up and got myself killed. Perhaps I've just got to get through this in one piece."

Sekata brought his sword along and crept down the stairs. He heard the familiar shouting and saw a figure whiz past the doorway. He then stepped out into the dining room, however a little too early, as Janet barged him out of the way.

"Hey, sorry man!" Janet called back. "Hey Adrian! Don't make me go Cyberdramon on ya!"

"Just try it!!" Adrian taunted as the two disappeared into the next room.

_Damn, I fell for that one again! _Sekata cursed silently.

"Sheesh, and you guys call me the immature one." Steve sighed.

"Sekata, you all right?" Zoe asked with concern.

"Ugh, I'm fine." Sekata pulled himself up. "I'd better get out of here before Katsu comes in with his lame Raindramon named Sunday joke."

"Hmm?" Zoe, Steve and Aero stared.

"Errr…just forget about that." Sekata waved his hands nervously. "I'll just grab the hovering platform and I'll be going."

As he was starting up the mobile platform, he noticed Zelia walking along with her trademark heavy footsteps.

"Zelia, you might want to go into the dining room from the back entrance." Sekata said to her.

The raptor gave him a puzzle look, but turned and complied with his instructions.

* * *

_That Astamon fellow, along with Paige. Both of them are greatly involved in all the events revolving around this 'time loop'._ Sekata pondered as he walked. _Hmmm…I'll see if I can take out Astamon before he can do anything to me. And that means catching him at the train station… _

Sekata arrived at the train station per normal and left his cargo outside one of the station's storage bays. He then made his way around the warehouse area, trying to guess where the chase would start from. Sekata was in the midst of mapping out the area when he heard Paige's screams.

"Shit! I'm in the wrong place!" He realized, having to run about 5 rows back before he spotted the pair.

Astamon had just entered the warehouse and Sekata knew that the demon would escape through the back door before either Paige or himself could catch up to him.

Paige and Sekata were approaching from opposing sides, but the Renamon didn't take notice of him as she lost her balance and skidded to the side. She accidentally toppled a stack of boxes over, sending the whole pile down on top of Sekata.

"Rarghh!! Argh!! OWwww!!" Sekata moaned from under the boxes. (With 'flattened' effects and 'swirly' eyes.)

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!!" The Renamon gasped. "But I've got to catch up with him!"

Paige threw open the door Astamon had used and rammed into the Gin Ryuumon, Raynor. It was a pretty one-sided match against the armored dragon with Paige being thrown roughly to the floor. Still, Raynor had taken a blow to his stomach and it took him a while to regain his breathing.

By this time, Sekata had pulled himself up and rushed out to find Raynor jabbing his claw at the fallen Paige. Astamon was already long gone.

"What are you?! Blind?!" Raynor snarled angrily.

"I…erm…I…" Paige staggered.

"Hey, leave her alone." Sekata stepped between the two, folding his arms.

"And who do you think you are?!" Raynor demanded. "You…"

"Fruitcake-eating dragon." Sekata cut in.

"Wha….how'd you know I…."

"Oh, and you were thinking of calling me a psychotic oversized red lizard too, right?"

"What-I-eck-ar-erm-…"

"Well Mr. demented freak of nature. What else have you got to say now?" Sekata grinned.

"You…you blood sucking, lamebrain, scatter headed, ding-a-ling of a whacked up job dragon!" Raynor blurted out.

"Grrrr….forget it and let's settle this." Sekata snarled, giving a hard front kick to Raynor's groin.

"RRARRGGHH!! Neurotic slug!! Not fair hitting me there, sociopathic worm!! OOWW!!"

"Jeez, you really need to clean up your vocabulary!" Sekata punched the distracted dragon's lower jaw, knocking him out cold.

"Wow, you sure know how to win an argument." Paige whistled.

"Thanks, but it wasn't really fair since….oh nevermind." Sekata waved. "By the way Paige, I'm your contact…"

* * *

Sekata once again went with the cargo and train, ending up at the festival area. He didn't stay still this time, and kept moving around the area. He'd gone the wrong way at the train station and was determined to get the upper hand this time.

Especially considering the fact that he knew exactly what was going to happen.

Luck was on his side this time, for Sekata spotted his quarry whilst flying around the courtyard. Astamon was perched on a rooftop, watching the festival with a pair of binoculars. Sekata descended as quietly as he could and landed, hiding behind a stack of discarded storage cabinets.

Astamon seemed far too preoccupied with whatever he was watching and Sekata easily crept up to him. At the last possible moment, Astamon spun around, wielding his sniper rifle, and fired.

Sekata howled in pain, clutching a bleeding hole in the right side of his stomach area. The demon Digimon then attacked with his daggers, the surprisingly sharp weapons stabbing into Sekata's left shoulder and wing.

The Vritramon stumbled to the side and was knocked over the edge by a follow-up attack from Astamon's rifle. He tried to spread his wings and fly, but found his left wing was clipped and wouldn't work.

"Hyper Spirit Evolution…." Sekata brought out his sword and started to activate his evolution sequence.

Next thing he knew, he had smashed through a couple of extended metal platforms. There happened to be some construction work going on below and Sekata landed face-first, as Kaiser Greymon, in a patch of newly poured concrete.

The impact of the fall was already enough to stun Sekata, but he heard a shot as Astamon fired. A cement mixer above Sekata's head toppled over, spilling its contents all over the unfortunate dragon.

All at once, Sekata found himself blinded, unable to move and unable to breathed. The liquid cement had gotten into his face and mouth, but he was unable to cough it up. In addition, the mixture was hardening fast.

His mind in a dazed state of panic, Sekata struggled desperately until the lack of air darkened out all his thoughts.

* * *

"Gurgh!! Urrghh!!" Sekata sprang up in his bed, coughing and gasping for air. "No…he got me again!! And he got me as Kaiser Greymon too!! Dammit!!"

"Rise and shine Sekata!" Cimons the Dorugamon called cheerfully, pushing the door open.

"I know! Now get out!!" Sekata yelled, hurling a pillow at the purple furred dragon.

"Whoa, no need to be such a grouch…." Cimons called, ducking the first throw.

"I said out!! Get out!!" Sekata roared, jumping up and tossing the table lamp at Cimons. "RRARRGHH!!"

"Whoa! Mad dragon! Mad dragon!!" Cimons gasped, skipping out the door.

Sekata grabbed hold of the door and slammed it with all his strength. Or at least he tried to, for he forgot one small point about his room's door.

"Swinging door." Cimons warned.

It was a little too late by then, for the door came back and right into Sekata's face.

BAM!!

* * *

"Gargh!! NO!!" Sekata opened his eyes to find himself lying on his bed. "All I did was get myself knocked out!! What the heck was wrong with that?!"

"Rise and shine…." Cimons' voice came from outside.

"SHUT UP!!" Sekata sprang out of bed and kicked the door open.

This time, he made sure to keep his foot on the door so it wouldn't swing back at him too quickly. It did, however, flatten Cimons, who 'peeled' off the wall and landed on the ground in a daze.

The red dragon quickly donned his armor and weapon, then tossed Cimons' limp form into his cupboard and locked it from the outside.

Sekata made his way down the stairs, timed himself according to the noises he heard and lashed out with his tail. The attack caught Adrian on the lower jaw and sent him flying backwards into Janet.

The two Champion stage dragons ended up in a heap with stars swirling around their heads.

"Ouch…somebody's in a bad mood today." Steve remarked.

"I'll just go and get my job done before I have to listen to Katsu's lame Raindramon joke." Sekata ignored the stares given and left the dining room to collect his cargo.

Along the way, he happened to brush past Katsu and grabbed the bug's shoulder.

"Hey Katsu, don't bother telling that joke, because the Raindramon's name is Sunday." Sekata said to him.

"I…erm…how….what…erk…"

"And try to be a little more original." Sekata patted his friend's shoulder, leaving the dumbfounded Digimon to stand there, gawking as Sekata departed.

* * *

Once again, Sekata stood waiting with his cargo outside one of the station's storage bays. He was really agitated this time, impatiently drumming his fingers against the crates.

_All right, it's about now…_Sekata told himself.

By now, he'd gotten used to the timing by which Paige and Astamon would come running around. Sekata made his way down the path and waited around a corner, the one he knew that they would pass.

Soon enough, he heard Paige's screams and the sounds of running. Crouching down, Sekata readied himself to strike.

And when the footsteps were close enough, Sekata lunged….only to have Astamon duck beneath his outstretched claws and stabbed a knife into his thigh, causing the dragon to roar in pain.

Paige was going too fast to stop and crashed into an already off balanced and distracted Sekata. He landed flat on his back with Paige's foot stomping on his groin area.

"RRRARRGHHH!!"

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!!" The Renamon gasped, jumping off.

"AARGHH!! Garghhh!! Not again!!" Sekata slammed his fists on the ground as Astamon rounded the corner successfully.

"Are you…" Paige started.

"I'm fine! Just go after him!" Sekata forced himself to ignore the pain and stumbled up, giving chase.

Unfortunately, Astamon made it into the open warehouse and escaped through the side door. Sekata remembered that Raynor was coming and held his arm out to protect himself.

Astamon still made it across the street, but Sekata barged into Raynor and knocked the Gin Ryuumon onto his butt. Growling, Raynor sprang to his feet almost immediately and jabbed a claw at Sekata's chest.

"What the heck did you think you were doing you…" Raynor began.

"Fruitcake-eating dragon." Sekata hissed, raising his knee for a strike.

WHAM!! Raynor's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as the orange dragon fell backwards, clutching his groin in pain.

With one problem taken care of, Sekata caught sight of Astamon across the road and attempted to follow for himself…..without looking both ways before he crossed the street.

A loud and long horn startled Sekata enough that he paused and looked up….just in time to see the front screen of an ambulance smack him in the face.

* * *

"Rise and shine…." Cimons begun, reaching for the door knob.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Sekata's fist went straight into Cimons' face. The purple dragon rolled back down the stairs with a constant yell of 'owowow' as the door slammed shut.

"I got killed by an ambulance!!" Sekata pounded his fists on the wall. "Oh the irony of it all."

Sekata dropped back down on the bed and closed his eyes. As much as he wanted to lie there and pretend this was all a dream, he simply found himself unable to keep still.

"Grrr…I can't just sit here." Sekata dragged himself out of bed and strapped on his gear. "I've got to try this whole thing again."

As the Vritramon descended the stairs, he found a dazed Cimons lying on the second floor's corridor.

"Ow! Hey!" Cimons snarled furiously. "What was that for?!"

Silently, Sekata reached out, grabbed the smaller dragon by the scruff of his neck and shoved him headfirst into a garbage can. Cimons' muffled cries went unheard by anyone downstairs as the dragon's head was stuck at the bottom of the bin.

As Sekata was reaching the bottom of the stairs, he heard the shouting of Janet and flipped his sword around. In one motion, he stepped out and swung the weapon like a baseball bat. That motion sent the blunt hilt of the sword into Adrian's face.

Adrian flew into Janet, knocking both of them backwards and out through the dining room's door.

"Ow…you don't have to physically abuse those two, you know?" Steve commented.

"Sekata, is everything all right?" Zoe looked up.

"No, I'm just in a very bad mood, that's all." Sekata replied. "I'd better get going."

Along the way, he deliberately made it a point to brush past Katsu and grab the bug's shoulder.

"Make sure you don't go and tell that stupid Raindramon is Sunday joke again." Sekata growled, releasing his hold and leaving the dumbfounded Digimon to stand there, staring.

* * *

_Hmm…what else can I try this time?_ Sekata wondered, pacing back and forth in front of his crates. _Perhaps the element of surprise isn't working out for me. I should go on offensive instead…_

The station's storage bay was empty and quiet as usual, but that would change very soon.

"Help!! Gargh!! Stop him!!" Paige's scream rang out. "Thief! Stop him!!"

"Right on cue." Sekata muttered, readying his arm-blasters this time. It wasn't long before the fleeing figure of Astamon came into view, followed closely by Paige.

"Hey you!" Sekata yelled. "Corona Blaster!!"

The first of the energy bolts were aimed at Astamon's feet, causing the demon to halt and jump backwards. Sekata adjusted his aim, targeting his opponent's body.

The demon whipped out a pair of daggers and tossed them at Sekata's energy bolts. A small explosion resulted, which Sekata bounded to the side to avoid.

"Hell Fire!" Astamon clasped his hands together and then suddenly thrust them forward.

Sekata found himself engulfed by a tornado of flames, and was thrown to the ground, roaring in pain. Astamon didn't hesitate a moment longer and sprinted out through the back door of the warehouse.

"That's new…." Sekata muttered, pulling himself up. "He's never done that attack before."

"Whoa, hey!" Paige dashed over. "Are you…"

"I'm fine." Sekata shrugged her off.

In his state of frustration, the red dragon barged through the warehouse's rear door and crashed into Raynor again.

"Hey! Watch where you're going…." Raynor started.

"…you fruitcake-eating dragon?" Sekata snarled in response.

"Huh? How'd you know…"

"I know every damn thing you've got to say! I've heard the whole thing a millions f#&king times you demented freak of nature!" Sekata burst out. "Oh, and there was the bit about the Psychotic oversized red lizard too, wasn't there?!

"I…arr…." The Gin Ryuumon stuttered.

"And then the lamebrain, scatter headed, blood sucking, ding-a-ling of a whacked up job dragon?!"

"What-I-eck-ar-erm-…"

"Neurotic slug? Sociopathic worm? Dysfunctional dumbass? See?" Sekata stepped into a battle stance. "You know why?! Because you're not the one caught in and endless cycle of repeating days in which you have to do the same thing over, and over, and over AGAIN!! And by the way, THIS was MEANT to happen too!!"

WHAM!!

"GGGWWAAAHHH!! GGGAAARRRHH!!"

Sekata kicked Raynor's groin with so much force that the orange dragon stumbled backwards, slipped and fell into an open manhole.

"AAARRRRGGHHH!!"

SPLOOSH!!

"Humph." Sekata dusted his claws off while Paige stood behind him, staring in amazement.

* * *

After delivering the goods to the next town, Sekata quickly settled his affairs with Paige's sisters and made an excuse to disappear into the crowd.

He made his way to the rooftop that he knew Astamon would be perched on later. Sekata hid himself behind the discarded storage cabinets and waited. Soon enough, Astamon climbed up the fire escape on the opposite of the roof and moved into position.

_Now! _

With a roar, Sekata emerged from his hiding place, firing his blasters. Astamon was swift enough to duck, although a laser singed the side of his cloak. More daggers were tossed in Sekata's direction, but Sekata rolled forward and beneath the daggers.

Now that he was in close range, Sekata launched a kick, followed up by 2 punches. Astamon stumbled, but as Sekata threw the second punch, the demon ducked and thrust the butt of his rifle into Sekata's gut.

Sekata had the breath knocked out of him and lost an essential few seconds to that distraction. Astamon swung the rifle upwards, catching Sekata at the lower jaw. It was an astonishingly strong blow that flipped the Vritramon head over heels off the edge.

Despite that, Sekata caught the ledge with the toes/talons and pushed himself off the wall, flying up into the sky. He remembered he'd brought his sword and pulled the blade out in midair. Astamon fired several shots from his gun, which Sekata deflected by spinning his sword.

Using his motion and body weight, Sekata thrust downwards. Astamon managed to avoid taking the full force of the blow, but it still smashed a large hole in the roof, sending them both plummeting to the ground below.

"Hyper Spirit Evolution... Kaiser Greymon!" Sekata activated his evolution process, landing on the ground in his new form.

The building, from his immediate impression, was a store for construction materials and machines. Of notice were a truck and a mobile crane in the corner, but the rest of the room was mostly empty.

"Hell Fire!" Astamon chanted, throwing his fire elemental spell at Sekata.

The dragon warrior raised his sword to block the blast, his own fire elemental nature playing a great part in lessening the damage done. The attack drove Sekata into a blind rage, with the dragon letting off a roar that matched the volume of his fury.

Astamon was a little startled and backed away, raising his rifle. Sekata charged through the demon's fire tornado and slashed, knocking his aim off.

Sekata barely heard the rifle's shot hit something as he followed up, slicing the rifle in half and throwing Astamon up into the air.

"Kuzuryuujin!" Sekata plunged his sword into the ground and summoned a massive 9 headed serpent from beneath. The fiery serpents attacked the demon in midair, wrapping themselves around the screaming figure and holding him still.

Sekata then jumped up himself, sword raised, and sliced the demon in half. The red dragon triumphantly landed as the burning remains of Astamon's cloak floated down to the floor.

"YES! Finally!!" Sekata cheered.

The inside of the building was now charred and burning, but Sekata couldn't care less as he made his way towards the door. Standing in the door frame, the panting dragon dropped his sword on the ground and looked up, across the courtyard.

The crowd was still there, with the music and drumming of the festival apparently having drowned out all the noise of the fighting, and was quite fixed on the priestess' performance.

Sakuyamon, the humanoid Digimon clad in gold and purple armor, was standing beside a stack of vases. Even from the great distance, Sekata recognized them as the vases he'd delivered to the festival earlier. The priestess raised the highest vase up to her lips and took a quick sip of some liquid which had been placed inside.

He had been so distracted that he hadn't been aware of the creaking sounds until it was too late. The dragon whirled around and suddenly realized that the crane inside the burning building was toppling over.

_Damn! That was what Astamon's stray shot hit!! _

Sekata leapt out the doorway and was promptly showered with bits of metal and concrete when the crane smashed into the wall. He lay there panting for a moment, then started laughing.

After all he'd been through, a falling crane should've been of no challenge to him. That was when the remaining portions of the wall collapsed, sending a particularly large chunk of concrete smashing into his head.

* * *

"GGaarrghhh!!" Sekata sprang up in his own bed….and found himself as Vritramon.

Frantically, he glanced around and realized that all his armor was off and lying in the same places they'd been at the start of the day. Immediately, it clicked in his mind that there was only one explanation….time had repeated itself again.

"NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Sekata howled. "I got through the whole damn thing already!! What DID I do wrong this time?!"

"Hey, you all right there?" Cimons asked, pushing the door open.

"Grrrrrr….what are you staring at you queer?!" Sekata furiously snatched up his Ryuukonken weapon and hurled it at Cimons.

Fortunately, it was the hilt of the weapon which hit the purple dragon, resulting in a blow that knocked him out, but wasn't fatal.

"I….rrrarrrghhhh!! I can't take this any more!!" Sekata fumed.

There was no choice however, but to strap on his armor and carry on. Sekata made yet another trip down the stairs, only a little slower this time so that Adrian went past first.

"Grrrr….those were my pancakes you little thief!!" Janet yelled. "Give em….urrghhh!!"

Sekata stuck his leg out so Janet tripped and went rolling, very ungracefully, into a corner.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Janet snarled furiously.

"Nyah Nyah!!" Adrian stuck his head back into the dining room and taunted. "Looks like they're mine!!"

"Why you!! Don't make me go Cyberdramon on ya!!" Janet threatened, forgetting completely about Sekata.

"Just try it!!"

"Sheesh, and you guys call me the immature one." Steve sighed as the two disappeared into the next room.

"Still, that was a little uncalled for." Zoe remarked, looking up.

"I know Zoe, but I'm not in a good mood. And….Zoe!" Sekata blinked. "Could I talk to you, over here, for a moment?"

"Oooh, some secret love affair?" Steve teased, earning him a whack on the arm from Zoe.

"What is it?" Zoe asked, moving onto the steps with Sekata.

"All right, this is going to sound really crazy, but watch over there." Sekata gestured to the table. "In a moment, Katsu is going to come in through that door and challenge Aero with a riddle."

"Wha…"

"Shhh…just watch and listen."

Katsu the Shadramon was indeed the one to enter the scene, wearing a wide grin on his face.

"Aero, I've finally got one that you won't be able to figure out." The bug smirked.

"Oh really? Bring it on." Aero challenged.

"It'll be about riding on a Raindramon." Sekata whispered to Zoe.

"A mon rides 15 hours on a Raindramon." Katsu recited his riddle. "Then after a 1 hour break, completes his trip in another 14 hours…all on Sunday. How is this possible?"

"Erm…hmm…." Aero began drumming his fingers nervously against the tabletop.

"And the answer is going to be that the Raindramon's name is Sunday." Sekata continued. "And Aero will not be happy about it."

"Because Sunday is the Raindramon's name, heh." Katsu winked.

"Wow…how'd you know all that?" Zoe gasped.

"Wait, there's a little more." Sekata told her. "Wait for Zelia to come in, then Janet and Adrian are going to crash into her."

Sure enough, Janet and Adrian came back and ran right into Zelia. The raptor was thrown forward onto the table, crushing the wooden piece of furniture and all the food beneath it. Everyone let off long moans while Janet and Adrian sweatdropped.

"What's this all about?" Zoe turned to Sekata.

"Zoe, I've been through this day before." The fire dragon explained. "This day keeps repeating itself! And I'm apparently the only one who notices it."

"Erm…." Zoe gave him a puzzled stare.

"Can't you pick this sort of thing up with your powers? Or perhaps you can sense that this isn't going exactly right."

"Well…I'm….not sure."

"Look…errr…just forget about it Zoe." Sekata turned around and walked away. "I have to get going before it's too late."

Even after her companion had departed, Zoe still stood there, pondering on what Sekata had just said.

* * *

Having to wait through the periods at the train station was getting more and more frustrating. Sekata found himself feeling both nervous and impatient at the same time, anticipating the upcoming event and yet not entirely eager for it to happen.

Standing in the currently empty loading bay, Sekata gripped the nearest crate tightly.

CRACK!

The wooden lid split because of his claws, leaving a large hole in it. Sekata groaned and pulled open the lid to inspect any damages to the vases inside the crate. While there were no visible breakages, Sekata realized there was a sweet odor coming from within.

Curiously, he reached down and plucked out a half eaten apple from the vase.

"This apple….wasn't this mine?" He wondered. "I was eating it earlier and….wait I didn't bring the apple this time right? When was it?"

"Help!! Gargh!! Stop him!!" A sudden scream rang out. "Thief! Stop him!!"

Sekata was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even notice the chase until the two were practically in front of him.

Astamon changed directions as Sekata whirled around, running into the warehouse.

_Not again! _Sekata cursed, dropping the apple, which once again rolled into the vase.

Paige tried to change directions and follow Astamon too, but the Renamon tripped inside the warehouse and crashed into a crate, smashing it open. Sekata had to deal with leaping over a dozen buckets, cooking pots and other household items as they spilled out everywhere.

One metal pail flew towards his face. So, Sekata nimbly snatched it out of the air and chucked it away. However, he also threw it towards the warehouse's back door.

Although Astamon was long gone by this time, who else should come walking by? None other than Raynor of course.

CLUNK!

"Muuaaghh!! Gaarghhh!!" The Gin Ryuumon's muffled screams came out as the bucket landed nicely over his head.

"Finally, something shut him up." Sekata sighed.

"Rarrghh!!" Raynor pulled the bucket off. "What…"

"Fruitcake-eating dragon." Sekata interrupted, folding his arms.

"Huh? How…"

"Psychotic oversized red lizard." The Vritramon continued calmly.

"I…"

"Demented freak of nature, lamebrain, scatter headed, blood sucking, ding-a-ling of a whacked up job dragon."

"What-I-eck-ar-erm-…" Raynor staggered.

"Neurotic slug. Sociopathic worm." Sekata yawned. "I'm sick and tired of hearing all that, so why don't you just go put in sock in it?!"

Sekata grabbed the bucket from the stunned Raynor's arms and slammed it down over his head. This time, it got stuck and Raynor hobbled about blindly trying to remove it.

"Or that bucket will do fine." Sekata finished, kicking Raynor in the groin.

"GGuuurrghh!! Muurrgghhh!!" Raynor stumbled backwards and fell into an open manhole, landing with a loud splash.

"Wow…" Paige came up, amazed.

"I've had a lot of practice in that Paige." Sekata told her, dusting his claws off.

* * *

_Right, I beat him once and I'll do it again. _Sekata crouched down low, waiting on the rooftop.

In the same hiding place as before, Sekata waited until Astamon showed up, climbing the fire escape on the opposite of the roof.

Sekata waited until he had taken his position on the edge of the roof with the binoculars, then sprang out with his weapons ready.

"Corona Blaster!"

"Hell Fire!" Astamon spun round and raised his arms up.

A wave of flames materialized and drowned out Sekata's energy bursts. It then continued on to barge into Sekata, throwing the screaming dragon to the ground.

_What?! Even this attack is more powerful this time round. _

Pushing away the pain from his mind, Sekata rolled into a kneeling position and prepared himself.

"Maverick!" Blue energy glowed at the barrel of Astamon's rifle.

Sekata fired immediately, knocking the rifle out of the demon's hands. It landed on the ground nearby and went off, blowing the roof out.

"Hyper Spirit Evolution... Kaiser Greymon!" Sekata drew his sword in mid-fall and activated the evolution.

Still in the air, Sekata steered himself towards the wall and bounded off it. The dragon warrior shot towards the falling Astamon, sword at hand.

However, Astamon turned to face him and threw off a huge fiery spell. Sekata was thrown back and splattered against the wall, leaving the impression of his body in it. Sekata hit the ground hard and was still trying to clear the ringing out of his head when he heard Astamon's maniacal laughter.

"At last, I've gained enough power to finally annihilate you." Astamon said.

"Grrr…you. What are you talking about?" Sekata demanded.

"The power of the void of space and time. You've been experiencing it, haven't you?"

"Wha…wait! The time repeats! You…you mean you've been affected too?!"

"Correct." Astamon chuckled. "And while I've been gaining power from them, all this has also enabled me to study much of your fighting abilities."

"No….you're the one behind all of this!!" Sekata gasped.

"Well not entirely, but allow me to show you the results." Astamon placed his claws together and uttered a soft chant. Then, his body glowed with a dark energy as it begun to change.

From the humanoid demon formed one that was more beast-like in nature. It was a towering black colored brute that somewhat reminded Sekata of the mystical beast, the Minotaur. Only this creature had clawed legs and talons like a dragon instead of the Minotaur's hoofs. It also possessed two pairs of leathery purple wings on its back.

The new Digimon stood upright, with its large, oversized fists raised high into the air.

"Belphemon!!" The Mega level demon Digimon roared.

"Ugh…" Sekata gasped, backing away.

With a ferocious howl, Belphemon slammed his fists into the ground. Sekata rolled away as pieces of the concrete flooring were thrown up.

"Enryuugeki!" Sections on the Ryuukonken opened up, firing off a series of energy bolts.

Belphemon howled as the bolts hit his muscular body, but charged and tossed Sekata aside like a rag doll. Sekata smashed into a pile of boxes and staggered up, shaking the dust off himself.

His opponent immediately followed up with his arms outstretched and Sekata ducked beneath them. Sekata barged, head horns first, into the demon beast's exposed chest. He was rewarded by the demon's cry of pain and pressed his attack.

Sekata's barrage of claw attacks and kicks was abruptly halted when Belphemon blocked with a massive arm, then swung and knocked Sekata aside.

This time however, Sekata felt a strong grip around his waist as his fall was brought to a halt.

* * *

"You were right Zoe, he did need help after all." Aeromaru remarked, standing in his shinning Alforce V-dramon form.

"I'd hate to ask if you're all right, considering you're covered with soot and bruises." Zoe, as Paildramon, stepped up beside Aero and helped Sekata to his feet.

"You…you came all the way?!" Sekata managed.

"About what you said to me this morning…" Zoe nodded. "I suppose my instincts did pick up something odd. I just couldn't pinpoint it, so I decided to follow you and traced your location with the D-Dragons."

"Guys, save the explanations for later!" Aero warned, gesturing towards the approaching Belphemon. "Jan! Steve! Hit it!"

"Erase Claw!"

"Plasma Shot!"

Janet and Steve emerged from the entrance on the opposite side of the room and pelted Belphemon with their Cyberdramon and Magnamon projectiles respectively.

"RRarrghhh! Gift of Darkness!" Belphemon readied a dark energy ball in one claw and hurled it at the pair.

Steve managed to dive away, but Janet wasn't as lucky and was caught within the energy ball, which grew to enshroud her entire body.

"Jan!" Sekata cried at hearing his friend's howls of pain. "Grrr… Belphemon!!"

Snatching up his sword, Sekata attacked and sliced off a section of the demon's right wing. Belphemon threw Sekata off and sent the Gift of Darkness attack towards Aero and Zoe.

"Get behind me!" Aero stepped in front, holding out his left arm. "Tensegureto Shield!"

A white dome of energy materialized, which held the large energy ball at bay.

"Now's our chance! Let's go!" Zoe skipped over Aero and stabbed at Belphemon's left thigh with her wrist blades, the Esgrima.

"Hargh!" Steve launched a hard kick at Belphemon's lower jaw that flipped him over.

Finally, Sekata jumped to his feet again and slashed at the demon. His sword made a direct hit, resulting in an explosion of flames and sparks which brought Belphemon to his knees.

"Huugghh…you." Belphemon stared, looking up into Steve's eyes. "You were supposed to…."

"Guys, watch out!!" Steve 'panicked', dropped to the ground and fired a Plasma Shot straight down Belphemon's throat.

The demon fell with a gurgled howl as his internals blew up and lay still….dead.

"Too bad, but you had your chance." Steve whispered. "And you blew it. This is your just reward."

With Belphemon defeated, the existing energy balls dissipated, releasing a groaning Janet and allowing Aero to lower his shield. Both signaled that they were all right.

"Damn, I was hoping to get more out of him." Sekata muttered, staring at Belphemon's dissolving carcass.

"Sorry about that, but it looked like he was going to attack." Steve remarked.

"Forget about it." Sekata shook his head. "I'm just glad it's…"

Something just clicked in his mind. The apple in the vase….that did not belong to this parallel, and yet….

"Oh no!! Guys! I'll be right back!!" Sekata yelled, sprinting out of the room.

The Digimon-packed courtyard was just outside, with the music and drumming of the festival having drowned out all the noise of the fighting. Sekata partly pushed, jumped and flew through/over the crowd in his injured state, making his way to the stage.

Paige the Renamon was standing below, looking up as her older sister Sakuyamon was raising a vase of liquid to her lips. Sekata knew these were the vases he'd delivered to the festival earlier.

"Hey Sekata." Paige turned around. "What's the hurry…ugh!"

"No! Don't touch the vase!" Sekata shouted, shoving past Paige and leaping onto the stage.

The priestesses Sakuyamon and Taomon were too stunned to do anything but watch as Sekata knocked the vase from Sakuyamon's hands. The vase shattered itself on the floor, spilling out a metal talisman and the half eaten apple amongst the liquid inside.

"Harrghhh!!" Sekata grabbed the talisman, tore the circular piece into bits and closed his eyes. "One thousand…..two thousand….three thousand…."

Sekata opened his eyes and glanced around. He was still here in the courtyard and not back in his bedroom.

"I….I did it! YES!!" The exhilarated dragon jumped up, cheering. "I broke the curse! Time isn't repeating itself any more!! Yeah!! Oh ye…."

That was when he noticed the hundreds of angry Digimon faces all around, including those from Paige, her sisters, as well as Zoe and company.

"Oh bother…." Sekata cringed, sweatdropping.

* * *

"So time was repeating itself?" Aero asked again.

"Yes." Sekata nodded.

"And you were the only one affected?" Adrian followed up.

"Yes!"

"And that was the reason for your crazy stunt?" Janet continued.

"Well…yes."

"And that you hit me in the face with your sword?" Cimons cut in, though the others shoved him away.

"And you expect us to believe all this?" Steve questioned.

"Hey! It really was happening! And it practically drove me crazy!!"

At that, the entire group burst out in a fit of laughter. Excluding Zelia that is, who simply sat in a corner and watched curiously. It was evening and the party was back in the dining room of their home base, discussing the day's events over the new table which had been brought in.

"Guys!! It really is true!!" Sekata protested as the group dispersed.

"Hey, I believe you." Zoe came and sat down beside him.

"Thanks for sympathizing with me." Sekata sighed.

"No, really, I do." Zoe insisted. "After all, that little hint was what led me to your in the first place."

"Zoe…"

"It's lucky too that the remains of that talisman contained traces of dark magic, so the priestesses let you off despite that crazy act." Zoe giggled.

"Oh boy, here we go again." Sekata got up and left.

"Sekata! Wait! I didn't mean to insult you!" Zoe called after him.

"Just give him a while to cool down." Steve told her. "He's like that at times."

"I suppose…"

* * *

Back in his room, Sekata closed the door and dropped down on the bed.

_Steve's behavior was a little odd today. _Sekata turned the events around in his mind. _Belphemon didn't look like he was about to attack, and Steve blasted him. Not that I mind, but…_

Sekata brought up his D-Dragon and got the shock of his life when he stared at its percentage counter.

_76.74!! But how often have I used Kaiser Greymon's powers since that day against Dynasmon?! Unless… _

The red dragon replayed all the different time parallels in his head….and realized that he had used his Hyper Spirit Evolution more than once. The problem was, his percentage counter didn't reset every time the time parallel did.

"Ancient Greymon….Grrrrrr…." Sekata hissed.


	36. Two Betrayals

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Two Betrayals**

By nightdragon0

Sekata stood in the darkness of the graveyard, amongst the mist and fog. He always hated being here, but as time went on, things simply felt darker and darker.

Something big was coming up, and he knew it.

The Vritramon made his way from the swinging gate, up the central dirt path lined with gravestones, and finally to the white stone temple. AncientGreymon was lying there, curled up on the top of the steps, and turned his head at Sekata's approach.

"Welcome. Haven't heard from you in a while." The ancient dragon chuckled.

"You've been awfully quiet yourself lately." Sekata snarled. "I would consider that good, if not for this."

Sekata held up the D-Dragon on his right wrist, with the percentage counter displayed on its screen.

"Well too bad. You use it, you pay for it." AncientGreymon replied. "It's all in the contract after all."

"Humph, I guess I couldn't expect anything else from you. But that's not why I'm here…I want to know…about you."

"Hmm?"

"You obviously have power over me, especially now that I'm stuck with you. But what exactly do you need me for? You've gone out of your selfish ways to make sure I come out of things, in workable condition, to say the least."

"You say that as if you already have a theory in mind." AncientGreymon remarked. "Let's just say that I'm gaining power from you. All those battles you've fought, foes you've vanquished, each time you draw on your powers…some of that goes to me."

"It's what I've been thinking. Because you know that I won't stop fighting, that's why you keep using me like this." Sekata folded his arms. "But you are already dead, aren't you? What's the point of all this then? Just to cling on to life?"

"You're getting better at guessing things. Well, you can consider me dead in a way, but not entirely. The final battle with D-Reaper in my time came out, less than satisfactory."

AncientGreymon's tone wavered a little at the last sentence, as if he were reluctant to talk about it. That had to be his reason, and Sekata was about to try and probe more into it when he heard more voices in his mind.

_Sekata! Hey wake up! _

"Zoe?" He gasped.

"Real world calls I see." AncientGreymon gestured. "Well, I'll tell you before you go that you can expect me to pay you a visit once you hit a hundred percent on the counter. And it won't be in this realm…"

Before Sekata could say anything else, he was drawn back as his world erupted in a bright flash.

* * *

"Hargh….almost there!" Aero panted.

The armored blue dragon skidded below the closing metallic door and rolled hard against the wall. The sound of explosions reverberated against the walls of the abandoned city as Aero staggered to his feet.

"I really have to compliment you on that one." The Chaos Dukemon, Dynamo, stood down the corridor, clapping his hands. "Tripping the wires down at the safe deposit must've set off a few more traps than I thought."

"Speaking of the safe deposit…" Aero pointed. "I believe I had the key first."

"Na-ah! Finders keepers!" Dynamo taunted, tossing a large object in his hands. It was a gray key in the shape of a 'T', with a green glowing ring at the top. "Besides, you wouldn't want to start a fight in here."

Dynamo gestured to the surrounding corridor, best described as a tubular structure with reinforced glass forming its upper layer. Outside, various fish and other marine life forms could be seen swimming about.

"Oh, I don't have to." Aero grinned.

"Grrrrr…."

"Oh crap!" Dynamo whirled around at the snarling to see a cybernetic velociraptor plough straight into him. "Gargh! Gettoff!! Argh!!"

As the black knight frantically wrestled with Zelia, trying to free his hand from the tightly clamped jaws, Aero saw his chance and went for the dropped key. Dynamo rolled onto his side, twisting his body so Zelia had to bite at an angle, and thrust out with a hard kick, knocking Zelia against the wall.

Aero grabbed the key, only to have Dynamo knock it out of his hands. The dragon slid backwards and ignited the energy sword of his Alforce V-dramon form, which quickly met with Dynamo's lance. Sparks flew as the two warriors clashed, slashing and hacking away at each other.

"Dynamo, what's taking so long?!" Junon shouted, rounding the corner onto the scene.

"Hey help me out here!" Dynamo yelled, stumbling as Aero threw a wide vertical slash against him.

"Oh no you don't!" Janet roared, leaping into Junon's path.

The Cyberdramon and Rhodo Knightmon locked hands, shoving against one another. Janet took a deep breath and twisted both her arms downwards. Junon cried out in pain and Janet rolled the knight over to the side.

"Spiral Masquerade!" Junon whipped one of the yellow ribbon structures on her back, taking Janet's feet out from under her.

"Ambush Crunch!" Zelia lunged into the midst of the weapon duel and clamped onto Dynamo's right arm.

Crying out in pain, Dynamo dropped to his knees and saw Aero approaching. Without any other option, he formed his left hand into the Gorgon shield and fired its energy blast, 'Judecca Prison'.

It was enough to knock Aero back and cause him to take a second missile in the chest. The new attack belonged to Metallix, who darted out from behind the fallen Aero.

"Careful how you use those things!" Junon snapped, still struggling with Janet. "One wrong move and you'll blow the walls out….and fill this whole place with seawater!!"

"Hey no sweat, I never miss with this baby!" Metallix bragged, raising his gun arm and taking aim at Zelia, who was locked in combat with Dynamo.

"Hey doggy-boy!" A voice taunted over the corridor's loudspeakers.

Metallix glanced around in confusion until he spotted someone taunting him through the windows. Steve, in his Depthmon form, was floating outside and waving.

"I'm sure you know who I really am, doggy-boy!" Steve continued. "But either way, you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

"Grrr…you!!" Metallix fumed, changing his aim. "I've still got a bone to pick with you!!"

"NNOOO!!" Junon and Dynamo yelled.

BOOM!! Steve easily moved, but Metallix's missile blew a large hole in the wall, sending the outside seawater pouring in. Alarms sounded as the city's emergency breach defenses activated, trying to pump out the water from the corridor.

The corridor was nevertheless filling up with water, though not at a very fast rate.

"Eekk…." The Metal Garurumon X stared, sweatdropping.

"Damn, Steve!" Aero tapped his Digivice. "Better get our ride ready! I have a feeling we're gonna need it in a hurry!"

"I'm on it!" Steve replied, swimming away. "Just hang tight!"

"You idiot!!" Junon fumed. "We've already got a moron on this team and we don't need an understudy!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Dynamo added in. "Huh?! Wait a sec, aren't you referring to…oofff!!"

Zelia swung her tail and knocked the black knight across the room. At the same time, Janet took the chance to knock Junon off her and charge up her own attack.

"Erase Claw!" The Cyberdramon roared.

"Urgent Fear….urrghhh!!" Junon's counteraction was too slow and resulted in the shot from her arm mounted Pile Bunker going into the ceiling, making another hole and increasing the flow of water.

"So, who's the moron now?" Dynamo asked, making his way to Junon's side.

"Oh shut up."

BAM!! A single sword stroke from Aero immediately sent Metallix spinning over to land at the two knight's feet.

"Gughh…we'll still beat you to this one." Aero muttered, clutching his chest in pain.

"Come on, let's get the key!!" Janet shouted, charging.

"Jan wait! The…"

An emergency door slammed shut in the middle of the corridor, leaving Janet's face to smash right into it as everyone else cringed.

"Ow…not a very smart move, eh lady?" Dynamo laughed.

"Why you!!" Janet jumped up, rubbing her red, sore snout. "You'll be in for a world of pain when I get my claws on you!!"

"Relax lady, we haven't fought enough times to be considered mortal enemies, now have we?"

_What?! That idiot still doesn't realize who I really am!! _Janet thought furiously.

"Forget it." Junon growled, holding her own injured left side. "Get the key and let's escape before this entire city floods."

"Hahaha, luckily it's still on our side." Metallix gleefully picked up the key.

"What's that thing for anyway?" Janet demanded. "Are there more abandoned cities like this one?"

"Probably….but I'm not telling." Metallix gestured.

"Because you don't know, am I right?" Aero stepped forward, nudging Janet's side.

"I do!" Metallix replied. "But I'm not supposed to tell you."

"Ha! You really don't know." Aero laughed.

"I do! Dammit I do!!"

"You don't."

"I do know! I do!"

"You definitely don't."

"I do! I do! I do I do I do I do!!"

"Oh, most certainly not."

"Most certainly do!!" Metallix raised his voice, an annoyed twitch forming on his face.

"Boy, they must think you're too stupid." Janet added in. "That's why they don't tell you these things. So just admit that you don't know and we'll be on our way."

"The damned city's on the western coast of the Dark Continent! And this key is to open the door and let the boss use Arkadimon to find that portal to the CHAOS!!" Metallix boomed. "See! I do know all this stuff!!"

Junon and Dynamo just stared in disbelief.

"Eh….uh oh…" Metallix sweatdropped.

"Oh yeah!" Aero and Janet gave each other high-fives.

"A most interesting way with words." Zelia remarked.

"We'll be ready for you!" Junon called angrily as Dynamo and herself dragged Metallix off. "You can count on it!"

The enemy trio disappeared down their end of the flooding corridor.

"That's a good breakthrough." Steve cheered, arriving outside the window with a yellow mini-submarine behind him.

"Yeah, a whole lot of information." Janet nodded. "Nice idea Aero."

"Thanks, but I mostly learnt it from you constantly fighting with Adrian and Cimons."

"Ugh…" Janet huffed. "Am I that bad?!"

"Better chat later guys." Steve urged. "There's a submarine bay just down that path, so I'll drag this down and meet you guys there!"

Soon enough, the party departed in their vehicle, leaving the abandoned, underwater city behind.

* * *

"Sekata?" Zoe shook his shoulder.

"Ugh…I'm up." Sekata muttered, pulling himself off the couch. "What's going on?"

He'd fallen asleep in the dining room of their base, where Zoe stood with an electronic map in hand.

"Aero just called back, and he's found some information on the Royal Knight's whereabouts." She told him.

"So soon?"

"Their skirmish at the underwater city yielded a bit of interesting information." Zoe explained, bringing out a map as she relayed the findings to Sekata.

"This is the Dark Continent, isn't it?" Sekata pointed to a region across the continent, close to the sea.

"Yes, and dark energies are strong around this area, they say."

"Should that be of any particular importance?"

"You remember the story about Omegamon and the CHAOS right?" Zoe looked up. "And that it was sealed in realm between the dimensions?"

"Again it comes back to this particular piece." Sekata remarked. "Arkadimon seems to be a key in all of this, and unfortunately it also doubles up as a weapon."

"Also, Omegamon is said to have entered the inter-dimension somewhere in that area." Zoe clicked her XV-mon claws against the table.

"Definitely merits some exploration, with a full team this time." Sekata decided. "When will they be back?"

"Later tonight."

"They'll need some time, maybe a couple of days, to rest up. And we'll have to start getting prepared ourselves."

"Um." Zoe nodded.

"What is it? You're not usually nervous about this sort of thing."

"No, it's just that I feel we're on to something big this time." Zoe turned around, glancing at the floor.

"Hey, it'll work out." Sekata raised his claw to touch her shoulder, but Zoe didn't notice it and walked forward. "Uh…"

"Sekata?" Zoe turned around.

"Oh, it's nothing." Sekata shook his head.

The Vritramon waited until he was sure Zoe was gone, then flicked his D-Dragon to the screen with the percentage counter.

_78.28…_ Sekata told himself. _What is it you're planning, AncientGreymon? _

* * *

The moon shone down across the cloudless sky, with the dim light casting odd swaying shadows of the trees in the field. At one corner stood a tree much larger than the rest, probably hundreds of years old. This was where Makuramon, the monkey-like warrior, awaited, sitting crossed-legged on a rock.

"Argh…why do we always have to set up these meetings so late at night?" Mihiramon the tiger yawned, rolling restlessly on the grass.

"Because it's the best time for our agent to sneak out unnoticed." The monkey replied calmly. "Hmmm…and there he is."

A small shadow was rapidly emerging from the direction of the moon. Soon, the figure revealed itself to be the white armored form of Dynasmon, who executed a flip and landed nicely on his feet.

"Well my friend, any new developments?" Makuramon questioned.

"A fair bit." Dynasmon replied in a gruff voice. "The Royal Knights plan to enter a forbidden city on western coast of the Dark Continent. And they have already acquired a key is to open a certain door for Lucemon to find the portal to the CHAOS."

"Lucifer's still up to his old scheme." Makuramon nodded. "Still on his search for the CHAOS after so long."

"Arkadimon seems to be required for this process, from what I've heard."

"Ah Arkadimon, a familiar foe to you, is it not?"

"Humph." Dynasmon growled.

"But putting all that aside, it seems Lucifer has all his pieces in place now." Makuramon scratched his chin. "It indeed is just as we originally thought."

"What is?" Mihiramon piped in. "I'm a little lost here."

"Daemon was originally working on a spell to find the CHAOS for himself." A female voice spoke up. "So intent on it was he that he linked it to his own core…his Digital DNA. And since Arkadimon was made from the Digital DNA of Daemon, Lucifer presumably has access to that spell too."

"Antiramon (Antylamon)…at least I can count on you in this field of knowledge." Makuramon turned his head towards another Digimon.

She was a Deva too, and an odd figure at first sight. Standing upright, she had the head and ears of a rabbit, together with a slim body, long legs and even longer arms that ended in oversized hands.

"Magic and the mystic arts are my fields of study master." She bowed. "I am always proud to provide this you with my knowledge."

"Hey…. Arkadimon was made from Daemon?" Mihiramon the tiger asked. "Sort of like a super clone right?"

"And we confirmed it too, after checking the holes here where he ran me through." Dynasmon suddenly spoke up, putting a claw to his chest.

"Majiramon, don't use the device to directly control him. It does have limited power." Makuramon shot an annoyed glance towards another Deva. "Additionally, doing it too often could leave him brain dead."

He took the form of a green Eastern style dragon, with four legs, two long upper arms and golden horns. He had a long white 'Chinese' mustache and similarly colored hair tied in ponytails. The Dragon Deva was normally a lot larger in size, but he had shrunken himself down to a more human size like his fellow Devas present.

The dragon Deva currently wore a headset and held a rectangular box with a 'touch screen' in his palm.

"What's the use then if we can't keep up its effect?" Majiramon folded his arms and huffed. As he did that, Dynasmon spoke the same words and mimicked the Deva's action.

"It's enough to keep this remote controlled toy car with teeth in check." Makuramon got up, snatched the headset and control box from Majiramon, and placed it down on the rock.

And it happened to be just a few inches away from Dynasmon's right claw.

"So since we know all this, we should just go after Lucifer and steal his prize for ourselves." Mihiramon growled. "I'm tired of all this waiting and planning! The battlefield calls for me…gggrrrrr…."

"Not when we're going to get resistance from them, and also interference from this fellow's friends." The monkey jabbed a thumb in Dynasmon's direction.

While the Devas were busy arguing, the look in Dynasmon's eyes changed slightly. No longer did they have their 'tough' glare, but instead one that was filled with desperation. His right hand trembled, as if he wanted to move it, and yet could not.

Some inner strength seemed to force his arm forward, and slowly, the fingers begun to move. Little by little, the trembling hand crept forward, its sole goal aiming for the control device on the rock nearby.

Antiramon was the only one who saw all this, but she remained silent with watched with a great deal of curiosity. These were not her matters to deal with.

"The original plan will take a little more work, but it will give us much more assurance!" Makuramon stomped a foot on the rock and snatched up the control device that Dynasmon had failed to reach.

The disappointment in the dragon knight's eyes was barely noticed by any of the other Devas.

"What he's proposing in very interesting indeed." Majiramon decided. "And the full moon will be up tomorrow night…in perfect tandem for the spell to work."

"Indeed it will, but the subjects are likely to resist." Antiramon spoke up.

"Oh there are ways we can take care of that." Makuramon grinned, lifting up a black leather bag. "Especially with our little agent here."

Dynasmon's eyes hardened into their normal stern expression as the dragon knight turned towards the monkey Deva and nodded.

"It's time to put our plans into action." Makuramon rubbed his hands together.

* * *

"So that's our destination." Sekata pointed to a spot on the virtual map. "If everyone's rested up enough, we should head out there tomorrow.

Together with the rest of his group, the Vritramon had decided to follow the Royal Knights to the Dark Continent.

Seated in the chairs around the dining room, Zoe, Janet, Aero and Steve all gave their affirmative nods. Katsu, Cimons and Adrian would remain at the base as usual to watch over the place.

Sekata gave a quick glance toward Zoe.

"And we'd better be prepared guys. I have a feeling that this mission will be a tough one." He added in.

"We'll be ready." Janet nodded.

"Hmmm….where's Zelia?" Sekata glanced around.

"I let her run around outside." Aero replied. "Relax, she'll come back and be up in time for the mission."

"You sure that's all right?"

"Zelia is well, different. But she deserves some freedom too."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Sekata shook his head.

"No need to be so tense man." Steve walked over and nudged the taller dragon's side. "So, if you're done with all the inspirational talking, how bout we start eating? Not nice going out for a mission on an empty stomach eh?"

_Steve always knows how to lighten the mood of things. _Zoe thought as the group settled down for their meal. _But why do I still feel…nah it must be what I was sensing earlier about the Dark Continent. _

A call went out and the trio of Katsu, Cimons and Adrian joined them at the table. It was during the meal that Zoe noticed Steve fiddling around with a black leather bag.

"What's that you're holding?" Janet looked up and asked.

"Oh, just something I found while going through the stores." Steve opened the bag. "Here, check this out."

Steve produced a wooden puppet in the shape of a Strikedramon and showed it to Janet. It was made up of multiple jointed parts and connected to a wooden T-shaped piece by several thin strings.

"Hey neat!" Janet took the puppet, gripping the T-piece carefully in her three-fingered claws.

"There are a few more…" Steve gestured.

The bag was filled with similar puppets, wind-up toys and other simple playthings. Most were modeled after various Digimon.

"Wow, check it out!" Cimons poked his head into the bag, going through the items inside.

"Yeah, there's this too!" Adrian added in.

"Wanna take a look?" Steve glanced over to Sekata, who was at the far end of the table.

"No thanks." Sekata growled. "I stopped playing with toys a long time ago."

"Hey man, I've told you about a million times or so, you've seriously got to lighten up and relax once in a while." Steve pushed past the others and stuck his hand into the bag. "Here, why don't you take this one since it looks just like you?"

Sekata was initially startled, but still managed to catch the object Steve tossed in his direction. As expected, it was a wooden Vritramon puppet with its strings nicely attached to a flat T-shaped piece of wood.

"Humph." Sekata looked over the puppet, then placed it down on the table. "I'll think I'll go to bed. See you all tomorrow."

The red dragon got up and left the others still poking through the bag of figurines.

"Sekata?" Zoe called from the table as he left.

"Guess we pushed him the wrong way or something." Steve sighed, shaking his head. "Well, better leave him to get over it."

Laughing softly, Steve went back to join the rest of his companions at the table.

* * *

The night was cloudless, with a slight breeze blowing up. Yet, there was no sleep for Sekata on this night, owing it to being caught up in a nightmare.

In the dream, he saw himself in a black colored, endless void. There was no up or down, nor any left or right. Simply darkness stretching out in all directions.

The world around was foggy and his vision blurred. Voices echoed all around, and at the same time seemed to come from nowhere in particular.

Sekata was running and although he didn't know why at first, the reason soon became apparent. A huge apparition of AncientGreymon was rapidly closing in on him.

The red dragon panicked and slashed about wildly, only to have his claws strike air. Frantically, he glanced around, but his sword was nowhere to be found.

A gust of wind suddenly knocked him over and Sekata found that instead of AncientGreymon, a dark shadowy figure stood, like a giant towering over him.

He wanted to run, but his body barely responded. If was as if he were stuck in a thick web of viscous mucous. His limbs flailed as a huge hand reached over him.

And suddenly, he was bound. Strings were around his neck, wrists, wings, waist, tail and ankles. Struggling had no effect at all and he was jerked up and suspended in mid-air. His arms were spread out horizontally out, and the strings pulled taunt, rendering him as helpless as a puppet.

Sekata was roaring and screaming, but no words escaped his jaws as his threshing strung-up form was spun around to face the dark figure.

Then, the light came towards the figure's face, revealing it to be….

_Steve?! _

Desperately, Sekata fought to awaken from the nightmare.

* * *

Suddenly, Sekata blinked and found himself lying on the bed in his own room. But something was seriously wrong, for he was bound by thick ropes around his wrists and ankles.

Sekata was about to cry out, but only got off a muffled hiss as his head was suddenly grabbed and his jaws tied shut. Although he struggled, Sekata found himself unable to break the bonds.

His body was surprisingly sore and weak, as if his strength had mysteriously been sapped away.

"Don't bother, the drugs in your food will leave you weak and helpless for a few more hours at least." A voice chuckled.

Makuramon, the monkey Deva, stepped out of the shadows and stood by Sekata's bedside. The Vritramon let off a soft growl of rage, but could do little else.

"You probably have a lot of questions in mind." Makuramon continued. "But to put all our answers in brief…"

The room's door swung open and Steve stepped inside. Sekata grunted to the Flamedramon, trying to warn him of the Deva present. But it soon became apparent that Steve was already aware of it.

Too well aware, in fact.

"You've done well kid." Makuramon patted Steve on the shoulder. "You help was essential to our plans."

_Steve?! Help?!_ Sekata stared. _No…don't tell me you drugged the lot of us? Then, did you let them into the base too? Grrr…Steve…you…_

"And we could always use the help of the Legendary Warrior of the Flames too." Makuramon brought up a fistful of powder and tossed it into Sekata's face.

The dragon immediately found it hard to breathe and begun coughing through his gag. Some small object was pressed between the palms of his bound claws, though Sekata's eyes were blurred and thus, he was not able to make it out.

His thoughts were growing sluggish, movements going stiff…slowly losing consciousness…

* * *

As she'd expected, the building was dark when Zelia returned. She'd spent the time sprinting through the hills outside, followed by lying down on the grass to cool down in the late night's breeze.

It had brought some odd, exhilarating feeling to her body…yet more fragments of her seemingly irrecoverable past. Was it how she was like before this…change? Zelia just couldn't pinpoint it.

Now as the raptor approached, she found the back door slightly ajar.

It registered to her as 'unexpected', for the others were cautious enough to avoid this sort of thing. Zelia nudged the door open with her snout and peered inside.

The lights were all off and the hallways devoid of any noises, meaning the others were probably asleep. But Zelia's acute night senses gave her the tingling that something was not right.

A strange scent led up from where she stood to the stairs nearby. Zelia approached and climbed, threading lightly and making as little noise as she could.

At the top, she rounded a corner and started as she bumped into a large, bulky shape.

"Aero…" She recognized the figure in the dark.

The Aero V-dramon stood with his back turned and didn't respond. Zelia glanced at him curiously, then opened her jaws to speak.

"Is something wrong….raarrgghhh!!"

The raptor was caught completely off guard as the blue dragon's spinning maneuver brought his fist straight into her chestplate, sending her flying backwards.

BAM!! Zelia rammed into the wall, bringing stars to her eyes.

"Ugh…Aero…what…" Zelia never got to complete that sentence, for another figure emerged from the adjoining corridor and smashed a heavy tail into her back.

Zelia hit the floor face-first, but forced herself up and turned to see her assailant….the slim form of an XV-mon, Zoe.

Suddenly, Aero attacked again and Zelia dodged both of his blows. Zelia feinted a swipe, drawing out a careless punch from Aero, then countered by using her tail to knock him back.

Janet, in her Strikedramon form, appeared from one of the doors and caught her with a blow to the side of her head. The raptor staggered and was clobbered by Aero, then thrown back into Zoe, who roughly hurled her off the balcony.

The tiles on the lower level cracked to varying degrees as Zelia landed hard. Snarling in pain, she rolled over and tried desperately to clear her senses.

Aero, Zoe and Janet all leapt down from the upper level and turned to face her.

"Why….why are you attacking me?!" Zelia gasped.

There came a clicking of claws on the tiles and Zelia instinctively ducked her head out of the way. However, it wasn't in time to fully avoid a metallic sphere projectile, the Cannonball attack of Cimons, which struck her left wing.

The appendage was twisted in another direction, leaving Zelia to roar in pain. She was hit afterward by a burst of flames in the back and by a series of needle-like bullets in the left knee. Those were the Flare Buster and Spinning Needle abilities of Katsu and Adrian respectively.

Zelia reared back and charged, ramming Katsu away first. She then clamped her jaws around Adrian's serpent-like body and hurled the Airdramon into the nearby Cimons.

"Not you too…." Zelia grimaced in pain.

Aero, Zoe and Janet were now approaching and Zelia was too worn out to do anything else but run. She managed to plough through the three and slip into the next room. But there, she was immediately seized up by a pair of powerful claws.

Although she wrestled frantically, Sekata's towering Vritramon form was strong enough to subdue her. One arm held her head and neck in a chokehold, while the other was grasped tightly around her waist.

Grunting and struggling, Sekata carried Zelia back to the main room where the others had gathered.

"What's going on?!" Zelia demanded. "Why are you doing all of this?!"

There was now some light streaming in from one of the upper level rooms, giving her a clearer look at Aero's face.

He seemed fairly normal, however it was his eyes that caught Zelia's attention. Instead of their normal colors, they were filled with a yellowish glow that completely covered up the pupil and the white sclera around it.

Zoe had that same look, and Janet too. All of the others did in fact.

Zelia stared for a while longer before coming to the realization….their minds were not their own.

"Fascinating how well the spell worked." Makuramon stepped through the crowd, who gave way to him.

The raptor continued to hiss furious curses as Mihiramon the tiger and Majiramon the dragon entered.

"Grrr…what did you do to my comrades?!" Zelia snarled.

"How about I let them tell you for themselves?" Makuramon held up a partially open black bag, which had soft squeals coming from inside it.

Zelia saw wooden puppets of a Vritramon and Strikedramon, a wind-up XV-mon toy, a light blue colored glowing sphere, and three hand puppets representing Shadramon, Dorugamon and Airdramon.

And the sounds were coming from that bunch of toys.

* * *

"Gurghh…can't…move…" Came Sekata's voice.

"Damn!! I hate this!!" Janet's howled.

"Zelia?!" Aero's voice called. "Zelia!! Get out of here!"

"You…!!" Zelia starred in horror.

"Well, we had to put their souls somewhere while we borrowed their bodies for a while." Makuramon laughed. "But don't worry…you'll be joining them too!"

Zelia wiggled desperately, but Sekata's body held her firmly and the monkey Deva approached to throw a handful of powder in her face. The raptor started coughing and choking as Makuramon pressed a blue cube close to her face.

"No…rarghh…" Zelia gasped weakly.

Her threshing grew slower and weaker as Makuramon recited the lines of the spell in an ancient language. Before long, Zelia's eyes fell close and Sekata's body dropped her limp figure onto the ground.

The others, in their helpless forms, could only stare in silent horror.

"That was far too easy." Mihiramon commented. "Didn't put up much of a fight at all."

"He did most of the dirty work though." Makuramon grinned, gesturing towards the approaching form of Steve.

Unlike the rest of the group, Steve's eyes were perfectly normal, indicating that he wasn't under the same spell.

"Steve!! What's going on here?!" Janet yelled. "What are you doing helping these guys?! They're our enemies remember?"

"Don't bother, he's been ours for a much longer time." Makuramon sneered.

"Steve…why…?" Zoe cried in disbelief.

Everybody had been so distracted that no one noticed Zelia's prone form slowly stirring, then blinking her eyes. It was Mihiramon who felt a hot breath against the back of his neck and whirled around to find Zelia rising and snarling at him.

"Huh? Wha…"

WHAM!! Zelia swung her tail and knocked the tiger Deva into Majiramon, sending both crashing into a bookshelf, which toppled over and landed with a loud crunch on their heads. A vicious kick of her clawed talons took Steve down as well, leaving a long scar across his belly.

She then went for Makuramon, who was too surprised to react, and bowled him to the ground as well. The monkey dropped the bag containing the 'toy forms' the others, spilling its contents onto the floor.

Zelia too, fell over, feeling the injury in her knee.

"Zelia! Get out of here!!" Aero shouted. His mind was trapped in the form of the blue sphere lying out of her reach. "Hurry!!"

The raptor always responded to his orders, and she was prompt as always. Zelia only paused to grab the closest objects, the three hand puppets of Katsu, Cimons and Adrian, before making a mad dash for the door.

"Stop her!!" Makuramon ordered.

The 'zombie bodies' of Sekata and his group immediately moved in to block Zelia's path.

"No you don't!!" Zoe hissed.

Exercising her unique psychic powers, Zoe managed to gain control over her own body for a second. She made it swing an arm, knocking the others down and giving Zelia enough time to escape.

"No dammit!!" Makuramon swore.

Mihiramon and Majiramon ran to the window, but Zelia had already disappeared into the darkness of the night.

"She's faster than I thought." Majiramon muttered. "Seems like she's gone."

"Get out and look or there goes three of our zombies here!!" Makuramon fumed.

"Why?"

"I can't control the bodies of the Shadramon, Dorugamon and Airdramon without the vessels where I placed their souls into."

"Looks like your perfect plan has some flaws after all." Sekata taunted.

"Either way, it's not under your control." Makuramon replied angrily, snatching up the Vritramon puppet. "But as for the rest of you, you'll stay here until we sort this little matter out."

Sekata was tossed into the bag, along with the tiny temporary bodies of Zoe, Janet and Aero, before the bag was zipped shut.

"Well this is an all-time low." Aero growled in the darkness. "I never thought Steve could…"

"He couldn't have done it willingly, could he?" Janet cut in. "What if they cast some weird spell on his mind or something like that?"

"I'm quite sure I would've sensed it." Zoe sighed. "Either that or Steve might've…"

"No, please don't say that! I don't believe Steve would do such a thing!!"

"It's a question we won't have the answer to for a while." Sekata pitched in.

"But there's still hope since Zelia got away somehow." Aero pointed out.

"It's like she was completely unaffected by the spell." Zoe remarked.

"It had something to do with transferring our souls right?" The Aero V-dramon noted. "Then perhaps it's true what I've been thinking. That she doesn't have one."

"Hmm?!" Zoe asked.

"Hey, but Zelia's out there alone now." Janet interjected. "She's not going to be able to fight off all the Devas, plus our bodies as well. So what's she going to do?"

"Trust me, I've been training her well." Aero spoke up. "She'll find a way…"

"You're awfully optimistic."

"It's the only thing we can hope for right now."

_Yeah, unfortunately he's right. _Sekata thought in despair.

Meanwhile, Zelia opened a hidden trapdoor by the outer walls of the house. The dino watched until she was sure that all the Devas and the zombie bodies of the others were gone.

Carrying a small pouch in hand, Zelia crept away into the pitch black hills beyond.


	37. Raptor on the Run

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Raptor on the Run**

By nightdragon0

It was dark and jerky being stuffed inside the bag and being unable to move for themselves. The morale was at an all time low too and the group of four soon fell silent.

The Devas holding them 'captive' had apparently regrouped after failing to find Zelia. There had been some heated conversations amongst them before they got moving. Their captors were dragging them off to some unknown destination….and there was nothing to do but wait and see.

It didn't help that Janet was extremely distraught and brought up a remark every now and then.

"This is probably the worst situation we've ever been in." She snarled. "Zoe! Can't you get control of your body or something?"

"Don't you think I've been trying?" Zoe responded. "But it seems like my powers have faded out while I'm stuck in this toy's body."

"Grrrr….I wanna get my claws on them so bad!!"

There came the slamming of a door, accompanied by voices from outside.

"Shh…listen…" Sekata whispered.

"Your spell was supposed to be foolproof!" A voice, identifiable as Makuramon, sounded. "We lost three of the puppets thanks to that, and thus won't be able to control three of the bodies!"

"Sorry pal, I clearly stated no refunds when I made this deal with you." A second Digimon replied, with a rather young sounding voice. "You probably messed up somewhere along you side if the spell failed to work."

"On just that particular one though." Majiramon, the dragon, added in.

"You know, it was that dino, Evza's experiment, remember?" Mihiramon spoke up. "Well, she's sort of a zombie I'd say…"

"Mihiramon!!" The monkey Deva, Makuramon, fumed.

"Really?" The unidentified Digimon asked with curiosity. "Go on."

"And she was some experiment that involved some magic and science stuff to revive the dead." Mihiramon continued. "So…"

"Grrr…you're just repeating all the information I told you." Makuramon growled.

"So, you did know about it." The unknown Digimon laughed. "Well the spell, I can tell you, transfers souls. And if it's not technically a living Digimon, it shouldn't have one. Of course, this is all pretty debatable."

"This is all your fault you dumb cat!" Makuramon hissed. "Why didn't you remind me?!"

WHAM!!

"Ow!! Hey just admit that you were so caught up in that mad, diabolical scheme that you completely forgot." Mihiramon barked.

"Ooohhh!! Just forget it!" Makuramon was clearly frustrated. "Fine then Puppetmon. Let's just go on to the second part of our deal."

Sekata pictured the Digimon known as Puppetmon in his mind. He remembered it as a brown colored, puppet-type Digimon with a long 'spike' nose, dressed in blue overalls with a red skull cap and a wooden cross across his back. Somehow, it didn't seem surprising that a Digimon such as that one would be behind the magic that put them in their currently embarrassing state.

"Now I'm definite about it." Aero, who'd been surprisingly quiet, suddenly spoke up.

"About Zelia?" Zoe asked.

"Yes. During my encounter with Zelia when I first obtained my Mega form, there were a few instances when I saw into her memories. And at the time the Devas kidnapped Zelia and me, I actually heard Mihiramon talking about Zelia's condition."

"And you never told any of us?"

"I wasn't too sure what to believe, even though I did have my suspicions. Now I know for sure." Aero muttered. "I saw it with my own eyes earlier on. Well, if I have eyes while my mind's stuck inside this blue sphere. Damn, I don't even have any limbs right now!"

"Guess my awkward feelings towards her have been misdirected." Sekata whispered.

"No, I told you not to worry about it." Aero insisted. "What does trouble me however is that it's been a while since her last ice bath. I don't know how much more she can take before…"

That was as far as he got before the bag was tipped over and the four were thrown out into the light.

"Well, these look interesting." Puppetmon giggled, picking up their tiny forms.

The wooden Digimon was much shorter that the Devas had been sitting on top of a wooden counter in what appeared to be an old, run-down shop.

"Hey get your hands off me you freak!!" Janet hissed at him.

The others were instinctively struggled…and of course getting no results. None of them could move their forms for now.

"Feisty too." Puppetmon added in. "Well, these will do then."

"After we're done with them." Makuramon stepped forward. "We'll need to finish the second ritual before night that the full moon ends in order to bring their bodies are permanently under our control. Once that is done, then you can have your little toys."

"Ah yes. And that's what? Two or three days away?"

"We don't have time. The Royal Knights are moving out as we speak….and we'll need to make use of their bodies to intercept them."

"In that case, you'll still need these toy vessels you put their souls in to control their actual bodies properly." Puppetmon rubbed this chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm…I have a place you can put them so that they'll be a lot easier to handle. And at the same time, I'll see how well this new device of mine works."

Puppetmon brought up a small brown object that seemed like an old stone pot with odd carvings on it.

"Just put them in there." The shorter Digimon gestured, opening the lid.

Sekata and the others gave out short screams as their tiny forms were tossed into the darkness.

* * *

"Ow! Hey lady! It couldn't hurt to not bounce us around so much, could it?" Adrian's voice called from inside the small pouch Zelia carried.

"Give her a break man." Cimons called back. "She just saved our butts."

Similarly to the others, Katsu, Cimons and Adrian had been trapped in the form of 3 hand puppets. In the earlier confusion, Zelia had managed to grab the trio of them before making a hasty escape.

The raptor had been running non-stop for the past half an hour, and now slowed down to rest by the foot of a hill, under the cover of darkness. Zelia was breathing hard, with aches running throughout her entire body, and she tried to shake those feelings off.

While all Zelia could think of was her exhaustion at the moment, what she didn't know was that her panting and labored breathing were all part of her mechanical side's program to make her seem 'alive'. The heat, however, was very real and a genuine danger to the raptor.

"Zelia, are you all right?" Katsu's voice asked.

"I'll be fine." Zelia closed her eyes and gritted her fangs. "But what to do now?"

"I would normally suggest going back for help, but we can't exactly do that right now." Katsu told her. "Besides, they're probably waiting back at base for you to show up."

"Yeah! And I bet one of them's in my room right now, going through my stuff!!" Adrian muttered.

"Under these circumstances, go tell somebody who cares." Zelia snarled, giving the bag a good, hard shaking.

"Ow!! Hey!! What did I do to piss you off?!" Cimons protested. "It was Adrian! Not me!!"

"It was Steve." Zelia continued, not listening to a word he had to say. "Steve led them in. He was working with them. He betrayed us."

"That's a possibility. But there might be other explanations as well." Katsu spoke up.

"Are you kidding?! You never saw how he just led those Devas in and watched as they did their voodoo magic on us?" Adrian protested.

"Grrr…I will hunt him down on the next chance I get." Zelia swore.

"Don't let rashness get to your head." Katsu warned. "The three of us can't do a thing right now, so it's up to you to figure out how to rescue Sekata and the others."

"One against all those Devas, plus our bodies isn't exactly good odds." Cimons said. "She's got her work really cut out for her."

As much as Zelia hated to admit it, the trio were right. She was not going to be able to accomplish this task alone. There had to be some way to…

_Of course! There was a warrior the others spoke of, a friend of theirs. Perhaps I can get information from him too on how to deal with the traitor._

Excitedly, Zelia took off running again.

"Where are you going now?" Katsu queried.

"There is someone who can help me. I have never met this Digimon, but Aero mentioned before that I could always trust him to help out in a tight spot." Zelia explained as she moved along. "I just need to find a video communicator."

Zelia continued along her course with amazing stamina, leaping and bounding up smaller hills. She continued along a dirt trail and finally arrived at a small sheltered hut, which served as a rest-stop for weary travelers in the mountains.

The hut was empty now, however it was the video phone in the corner that caught Zelia's attention. The raptor curiously inched forward and grabbed the phone in her right claw.

"Please insert your phone card to begin." A computerized voice sounded.

Zelia jumped in fright, glancing around for the source of the voice.

"Please insert your phone card to begin." The computer repeated, now that the phone's receiver was hanging down by its wire.

The raptor picked up the receiver again and sniffed at it.

"Hey, you need a phone card to use that." Katsu informed her. "Hmm…you could try look around this place and hope someone dropped his here…."

"Grrrr…." Zelia snarled, ripping the phone box's main panel open.

Sparks flew as Zelia dug her claws in and twisted the wires about.

"Card confirmed. Please proceed to dial your number." The computer sounded. "Please proceed to dial your…"

BAM!! Zelia punched the computer's speaker out before lifting the phone's receiver to her ear. Carefully, she inputted the number and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Asked a deep, gruff voice on the other end.

"Are you the one known as Siavon?" Zelia asked.

"I am. And who might you be? I don't give this number to just anybody."

"A friend of Aeromaru's and Steve's. And all of them happen to need your help right now."

"Explain."

* * *

"Rarrghh!! Garghh!!" Sekata's apparent plunge was suddenly snapped to a halt. "Wha…?!"

He was seemingly dangling in mid-air, but the realization soon hit him that his body and limbs were still bound by the puppet strings. The walls around him were odd too, painted white with black swirls forming a large, spiral shaped drawing that made him feel nauseous from simply looking at it.

"Wait a minute! I can actually feel my limbs!!" Sekata gasped, tugging at the strings.

His movements were still limited, but Sekata looked down at his body and clenched his fists. The red dragon didn't have the slightest clue of what had happened or where this strange place was, but he knew his first task was to get himself loose.

And that was easier said than done.

Much like in his earlier dream, his arms, legs and wings were spread out as he dangled from the ceiling. And try as he might, Sekata just couldn't angle his claws or his fangs correctly to cut the strings.

"Rrrargghh!!" Sekata howled in frustration.

"Sekata?! Is that you?" A voice called out.

"Zoe?" Sekata looked around. "Where are you?"

"Try to follow my voice." Zoe replied.

Sekata's glance complied, spotting the limp blue form of an XV-mon lying facedown on a platform across from his position.

"Zoe! Are you all right?" Sekata called.

"I'm fine, just that I can't move." Zoe yelled back. "I think it has something to do with that thing stuck in my back."

"Hey Zoe, I think it's a key!" Sekata stared harder.

"What?!" Zoe stopped to think for a moment. "I have a hunch. Can you reach the key and turn it?"

"I can try. But what good would…"

"Just try it!"

Taking a deep breath, Sekata forced his body weight to one side so that he swung a little. From his hanging position, the return swing carried him a little further and he repeated this process over and over again.

It was both a tiring and strenuous activity, but he was eventually able to get a good enough swing to carry himself over to Zoe's position.

"Almost…." Sekata reached out with his lower talons.

Once…twice…and Sekata pulled back for a long swing. With a satisfying cling, his talons met their mark. The Vritramon grunted as he turned the key, with a winding sound emitting from Zoe's back.

Zoe slowly begun to stir and when the key could turn no more, Sekata released and swung back.

"Ow…my body feels so stiff…" Zoe moaned, reaching over to feel the oversized key stuck between her wings. "And this thing is plain weird."

"How about getting me down from here too?" Sekata shouted.

"Let me get the timing right!" Zoe waited until the momentum carried Sekata's body close to the platform, then leapt up and cut the strings with a swipe of her claws.

Sekata's natural instinct by now was to open and flap his wings, but this time his wings simply refused to work and he dropped like a lead weight.

"Gggarghhh!!"

"Gotcha!!" Zoe leaned over the edge and grabbed Sekata's claw. It took some effort, but she managed to pull him up onto the platform, where both sat panting. "That was close."

Looking into the darkness over the edge, Sekata nodded in agreement.

"I have absolutely no idea what's going on here." Sekata finally managed.

"I think this is some sort of temporary dimension that they're keeping us in." Zoe looked up. "You were listening to their conversation right?"

"Yes…"

"And I believe too that we're still toys….and our forms in here reflect those forms."

"Great….so what else can we do right now?" Sekata sighed.

"I really don't have any ideas about that…huh?" Zoe felt the floor beneath her feet shift.

It felt like a layer of cold stone tiles that had the same white and black swirl coloring of the walls. Zoe got her fingers between a couple of the tiles and pulled, revealing a hidden passageway with a spiral staircase leading downwards.

"I suppose we should go down." Zoe suggested.

"Not that we have much of a choice." Sekata nodded. "And perhaps we'll find Janet and Aero too…"

* * *

Zelia crouched low behind the fence and waited, watching cautiously. The rays of the morning sun were beginning to show over the horizon, and the raptor was exhausted.

After contacting Siavon, she'd spent the night making her way through the hills and towards the outskirts of town. She'd had a close call, but was able to duck into a dark alleyway as several of the Devas strode past with Steve in tow.

It took a lot to hold back her anger, but even Zelia knew that she could not possibly win the fight by herself. There were the three Devas she'd encountered earlier, the monkey, the tiger and the dragon, accompanied by two more of their group.

One was the tall, rabbit-like Antiramon. The second one was Indramon, a purple horse who stood upright. He had large hooves where his hands would've been, and carried a huge golden shell on his back.

The party was also wheeling four long crates, and judging from their varying sizes and lengths, Zelia guessed that the real bodies of Sekata and the others were inside.

That probably meant too that Katsu's, Cimons' and Adrian's real bodies were back at the base. At least the Devas wouldn't be able to use them against her like the previous night. Her left wing was still twisted and useless, along with the aching in her left knee that had worsened with all her running.

Zelia had trailed them until they passed through an electronically controlled door, with the compound beyond surrounded by the fence she now stood by.

She could still see the Devas moving their crates, loading them up onto a small carrier plane.

"Hey." Whispered a voice behind her.

Zelia spun around and growled, forcing the stranger to grab her and hold her jaws shut.

"You must be Zelia, correct? Be quiet or they'll hear us."

The raptor found the voice strangely familiar and relaxed. It was not only because it was the voice of Siavon, whom she'd spoken to earlier, but because of something else. Yet another feeling she could quite comprehend.

The larger form of the BlackWargreymon released his hold and moved to face her. Clad in his black dragon armor, Siavon had his claw weapons strapped by his sides, or rather, the one claw he had remaining. Across his back was a huge samurai sword in a sheath, fastened by a single strap running diagonally across his body.

Zelia's eyes paused upon seeing the 'scar' in the center of his chest. It was a single, circular part of his armor that looked more worn than the rest, as if a hole had been broken into it and then patched up. Siavon stared into her eyes too, as if expecting then answer to some unspoken question.

Both then shook themselves out of the moment.

"Siavon…" Zelia acknowledged with a nod.

"You needed my help I believe?" The armored dragon spoke. "It's lucky that I happened to by close-by."

"Katsu, you can explain better." Zelia brought up her pouch and pulled it open.

"He's the one?" Katsu's voice sounded from the puppet. "Hey, this is embarrassing so don't…"

"Just explain to the guy what's going on!" Cimons cut in.

"Now this is….quite peculiar." Siavon muttered as he listened.

While Zelia and the others were retailing the current events, Siavon kept watching the figures through the fence. He spotted Steve there and eyed the young Flamedramon with mixed feelings. The old warrior knew dealing with the Devas was bad news…after all he'd had his own encounters with the group before.

"The Dark Continent? That is where they are headed?" Siavon looked up.

"Grid Delta, coordinates 98 by 105." Zelia repeated. "That's what Aero told me when he called just before I came back."

"Hmmm…it seems like they're almost done…"

Engines suddenly sounded as the plane prepared for take-off.

"Already?" Zelia growled. "Damn, I have to follow or I'll lose them!!"

"No, wait girl!" Siavon ordered as Zelia leapt up the fence.

Although the barbed wire at the top left scars and scratches on her body, it did little to impede the swift velociraptor as she went over. Alarms then began blaring as Zelia reached the other side and ran.

_Must have motion sensors on the fence! _Siavon realized.

Spotlights from the guard towers were moving now, rapidly closing in on Zelia's position. Thinking fast, Siavon grabbed a large rock and hurled it into the nearest spotlight. The shattering of glass was followed by all the lights turning to his position.

"There's an intruder! Shoot him!!" Guards shouted from inside.

Siavon broke out in a run as gunfire pelted his position. He was tempted to thrown a larger blast back, but instead took to running from bush to bush. Hopefully, his form had been covered enough for the guards not to see him too clearly.

And it would be easier for him to flee and fade into the crowd once Zelia was clear…if she made it that was. And after that, he'd have to find his own way to the Dark Continent.

* * *

Across the airfield, the running raptor went unnoticed as all attention was diverted by Siavon outside. Zelia charged, pumping her body to its limits to catch up with the moving plane. No one aboard the plane noticed as Zelia approached from the rear left side.

The chase was intense as Zelia drew closer and closer, reaching out with a claw. Just above her head, she could feel the heated blast of the plane's engines.

Her aim was to grab one of the metal connectors that allowed the plane's wheels to be extended. Zelia was within inches of her target when the plane lifted off from the ground.

"NOO!! GGRRRRRAARGGHH!!" With a snarl, Zelia jumped and grabbed the wheel compartment's open door.

However, she was unprepared for the intense pressure of the ascending plane and slipped. Zelia was still able to grab a hold near the bottom connector, but the still moving wheel rubbed against her body, sending her instinctively howling with pain.

Zelia fought against the friction and pulled herself up, planting her feet on the wheel and running as if on a treadmill. The wheel was slowly retracting itself into its compartment and Zelia scrambled up.

She'd gotten into the wheel compartment when the plane jerked and the raptor slipped, tumbling and falling forward. The compartment's doors were already sliding close, and this ironically saved Zelia when she used both arms to brace herself against the partially closed doors.

That left only her head and neck to shoot out through the opening, giving her a good, downwards look of the nothingness below. Zelia was stunned for a few seconds before she even registered the thought of pulling her head up.

Unfortunately, the raptor found that the doors were mostly closed and she couldn't bring her head inside because of her armored head's horns. Zelia felt the squeeze of the closing doors against her neck and screamed in panic.

Using her front claws, Zelia shoved against the doors as hard as she could and twisted her head at an angle. Desperately, she jerked harder and harder, ignoring the pain.

At seemingly the last moment, she drew back with a 'pop' and fell flat onto her back….just as the doors sealed themselves shut.

Zelia lay there rubbing her neck, realizing how close she'd come to literally losing her head. After checking that her pouch, along with Katsu, Cimons and Adrian were with her, there was nothing else to do but curl up amongst the plane's landing gear and wait.

And she had a feeling it would be a long one.

* * *

"Garghh!! Arghh!! Help!! Somebody help me!!"

Sekata and Zoe glanced at each other in surprise. It was the first voice they'd heard after walking for some time…and a familiar one too.

"Jan?!"

The two dashed down the stairs, along a narrow corridor and emerged into an open, cylindrical-shaped room. Janet's Strikedramon form was strung up there, hanging over a pit of spinning blades.

"Help!!" Janet screamed again, struggling wildly.

The puppet strings that bound her limbs were connected to a pulley that was slowly lowering her into the pit.

"Hold on!" Sekata called. "Over there Zoe!"

"Got it." Zoe nodded.

With Sekata in the lead, the pair ran along the surrounding platform and approached the pulley. Sekata felt a tile sink beneath his feet and quickly stopped to shove Zoe backwards. The next instant, a hidden trapdoor opened and dropped the fire dragon into a box underneath before slamming itself shut.

"Sekata!!" Zoe glanced down at the ground in surprise, but then turned back to Janet. She made her decision and leapt over the trapdoor, making a sprint for the pulley.

The XV-mon was within inches when an unseen force abruptly threw her onto her back. Zoe realized that there was a flat, circular magnet running along the wall and it was dragging her away. Desperately, Zoe dug her claws into the ground, leaving long scratches accompanied by a horrendous screeching sound.

Zoe then heard a 'pop' and felt the key that had been stuck in her back suddenly come loose, pulled out by the attractive force of the magnet. The key stuck itself to the moving magnet, which took it in the opposite direction from her intention. Zoe's body suddenly felt heavy and sluggish, with her struggling just to push herself forward.

"No…dammit! Not again…!!" She cursed.

SNAP!!

"AARRGHH!!" Janet yelled as the ropes holding her came off the pulley, having reached their ends.

Zoe threw herself forward and managed to get a grip on the ropes, winding them around her arms. Unable to move her body properly, Zoe was dragged forward and fortunately, was caught against the pulley in a tangle of limbs.

That dropped Janet further down, leaving her hanging just above the blades.

"Garrghh…I…can't move anymore…!!" Zoe cried in frustration.

"Your grip isn't good!" Janet shouted. "I'm still slipping!!"

There came another howl of rage as the box Sekata had fallen into was tossed up onto the ledge. The lid flew open and Sekata was tossed out….for a few feet before the rainbow colored spring wrapped around his entire body jerked him back in like a jack-in-the-box.

"What the hell?! This is utterly humiliating!!" He roared.

The continuous springing in and out motion had him ready to throw up, but in between the jerks, Sekata saw the danger his friends were in. Thoughts racing wildly, Sekata clamped his jaws against the edge of 'his' box and shook his body as much as he could, despite the lid constantly slamming down against his head.

He managed to knock the box closer and closer to the edge. With a final motion, Sekata tipped his box over and let it fall towards the blades. If his timing was wrong….then he would basically be cut to shreds.

Janet and Zoe screamed in horror as the blades sliced cleanly through the box.

However, Sekata had timed his shot correctly and was also freed by the deadly blades. In a split second, the Vritramon had pushed himself off the wreckage of the box and used it as a springboard to propel himself upwards.

In the same motion, he caught Janet's dangling form in his arms and landed on the platform, rolling into the immobilized Zoe and ending up with all three panting in a heap. Almost as if sensing that its prey had escaped, the whirling of the razor blades slowed until they fell silent with a complete stop.

"What is this? Some sort of kid's game?!" Janet gasped when she could finally speak.

"Some demented kid probably." Zoe added in.

"Game? Well I did not find any of that fun at all." Sekata rolled onto his knees.

Cutting Janet's strings and then retrieving Zoe's key were a simple matter after the previous encounter. It wasn't long before the three were on their feet again.

"Ok, this is just plain freaky." Janet muttered.

"Tell me about it." Sekata agreed. "Any longer and I might just lose my mind."

"Hello?! Hey!!" A voice echoed from the pit. "Can anyone hear me?"

"Aero?!" Zoe gasped.

Nodding to each other, the trio dropped down into the pit. It didn't go down very far and the group landed on some surprisingly spongy ground, also decorated in the same black and white pattern.

"Where are you Aero?" Sekata called.

"Don't know. But I'm still stuck in some sort of spherical object." Aero's voice seemed to reverberate throughout the area and it was impossible to tell which direction it was coming from.

"It must be one of these." Janet stepped up and poked a large blue sphere the about the same size as herself.

"Erm…Jan…" Zoe tapped her friend's shoulder and pointed.

Janet's jaw practically hit the floor as she stared across the open black and white field before them. It was littered with hundreds of identical looking blue spheres, all scattered in jumbled piles and groups.

"You have got to be kidding…" Janet stuttered.

* * *

"_Whoa, careful there!" He was saying, taking hold of her arm. _

"_Thanks. I...huh?" _

"_Yeah, I was about to ask you the same thing too." He grinned. "Don't see many Guilmon around here. Especially with the pretty rude welcome they gave me."_

"_Oh, you expecting an apology for that?!"_

"_I'll lock the door. You hope they don't have blasters."_

"_Well, it takes two to tango princess. So, shall we dance?"_

"_Garghh...back...stabbing…"_

"_Hey! I'm insulted! I shot you from the front, fair and square!"_

"_Jan...that...you...?"_

"_RRRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!"_

"_SON OF A…..!! AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!"_

"Hey, you talking in your sleep again?" The firm female voice was accompanied by a hard tap on his shoulder.

"What…I …wha…erm…" Dynamo spluttered, jumping out of his seat. That also caused the chair in the moving vehicle to topple over and sent the Guilmon rolling onto the floor. "Hey! Were you listening or something?!"

"The whole time." Junon flipped up the visor section of her helmet so that her grinning facial expression was visible.

"Humph, well it's none of your business." Dynamo huffed, pulling himself up.

"You were sleeping when you were supposed to be watching the ship's monitors. Anyway, we're almost there and nothing has come up, so it doesn't really matter now."

"All right, all right." Dynamo threw up his hands. "Just let me get a bit of air first."

The dino pushed his way past Junon, who let off a sigh as he slammed the control room's door shut. Dynamo made his way out of the corridor and took a spot by the ship's railing. The boat was racing across the seas towards the village on the western coast of the Dark Continent, on another of the boss' 'funny schemes', as he liked to term it.

And that would also mean another encounter with the Vritramon and his gang, now that they knew where they were headed.

Glancing down at the sea, he let the evening breeze blow past his ears.

"Damn, every time I think about that bunch, I just can't get her out of my mind." Dynamo muttered.

He knew that there were some new members of the group, including Evza's old experiment, which Junon and himself had failed to dispose of. But it was Janet that he was thinking of.

Since the Megidramon incident, Dynamo hadn't seen her appear even once. Was she still recovering from the shock, and from losing her Mega form's data to him? Or perhaps his design had failed and she was…gone…

"Bah…" Dynamo shook his head.

He didn't want to let the past come back to haunt him, but the incident still pricked his conscience somehow. However, Dynamo couldn't let it get in his way, especially on this mission. The boss himself was onboard, along with the sorceress Evza and that creepy Arkadimon thing.

There was a slight bump as the boat's auto-pilot brought the vessel to a stop by an old docking platform at shore.

"No sign of them yet." Junon came up by Dymano's side. By 'them', she'd been referring to Sekata's group. "I'd think that they would be here early."

"Nah, they'll be around." Dynamo raised a claw and was briefly surrounded by a wave of Digicode that changed him into his Chaos Dukemon form. "Boss hardly seems worried though."

"He barely ever is." Junon nodded, closing her helmet's visor. "Let's go."

"Hey wait up!" Metallix came running and leapt down onto the docking platform alongside the two knights.

Junon and Dynamo let the cybernetic wolf tag along as they approached the gates. The area was lit only by the dimming rays of the evening sun, which would soon be gone.

The trio took a while to look around at the abandoned city's huge walls, which surrounded its perimeter and stretched along the coast as far as eye could see. Beyond the walls stood dozens of dark buildings of varying shapes and sizes, the few ones remaining out of many times their number. It seemed like a technologically advanced city, and Dynamo wondered why it had been abandoned.

Perhaps there would be some interesting gadgets to be found there too.

"An ancient city, whose great advances in technology would ultimately be their own demise." Lucifer, the dark angel and Ultimate form of Lucemon, suddenly appeared from behind and spoke.

"Boss?" Dynamo asked.

"The dark energies were strong here, and the residents attempted to harness them for their own uses." Evza approached and continued the story. The sorceress was a human-like Digimon known as Lilithmon. "They thought their technologies could control the CHAOS, but that did not turn out they way they would have liked it to. And they paid with their lives."

Junon was also listening with interest, but remained silent as the group passed through a huge gate consisting of an iron double doors. The doors were made of a strong, solid metal, but with the city's destruction, they remained useless and hung wide open as a reminder to the devastation.

"Well, well, you're finally here Lucifer." The small frame of the monkey Makuramon stepped out. "We actually had a little ritual to perform, but I suppose we could deal with you first."

"Hmmm…so you are the Deva leader." Lucifer walked forward with his arms folded. "I'm impressed that you managed to find this place, but your motives are of no concern to me. Stand in my way and I'm afraid I'll simply have to eliminate you."

"Oh that won't be so easy." Makuramon tapped an odd stone jug strapped to his belt.

There came several cracking sounds, followed by the shattering of wood as four crates lying amongst the rubble suddenly burst open. The first one out was a Vritramon with a strange yellowish glow in its eyes, firing its arm blasters.

The Royal Knights scattered to avoid the shots as a similar-looking XV-mon, Strikedramon and Aero V-dramon appeared, shooting off their respective energy attacks as well. When the smoke cleared, more Devas had come into view.

Mihiramon, Majiramon and Indramon were all there along with two much larger warriors…. Vikaramon (Vikaralamon) and Shinduramon (Sinduramon). The former took the form of a brown, fur-covered boar with huge tusks and red horns on his forehead. The second one was a mechanical rooster with a purple body, red mane, and golden head, wings and talons.

"Erm…they seem to be pretty serious this time." Metallix muttered, glancing around.

"Hey…" Dynamo nudged Junon and gestured towards the Vritramon. "Isn't that them? What are they doing with the Devas?"

"Those four are definitely under some spell." Evza spoke softly.

_Maybe that's why they haven't been around to bug us. _Dynamo thought.

"We are serious indeed." A Flamedramon, Steve, stepped out of the darkness. Waving his claws, his smaller blue dragon form shifted and changed into that of the white dragon knight, Dynasmon.

"This guy too?" Junon muttered. "Hmmm…how did the Devas infiltrate their ranks so easily?"

"Come! Arkadimon!" Lucifer called, ignoring the chattering of his troops.

From the storage holds of Royal Knight's ship outside, the massive, Ultimate level demon emerged and flew towards the gate, landing beside Lucifer. The various Devas gave it several awed glances, but nevertheless prepared themselves for battle.

The two opposing groups were left at a tense standoff, with only the howls of the wind echoing through the empty city. He wasn't exactly sure who fired the first shot, but all Dynamo remembered was all hell suddenly breaking loose.

* * *

Zelia poked her head out from her hiding place and watched the battle unfold. Evza was here too and she wondered if the sorceress was able to sense her presence.

The raptor ducked down as Junon passed by her position, caught up in a hack and slash match with Steve's Dynasmon form. The Rhodo Knightmon's 'ribbon' weapons met Steve's claws, with sparks flying as the two closed in on one another. Both knights struggled and finally shoved each other apart.

Growling softly, Zelia was every so tempted to charge out and take the traitor down.

"Aw…the new girl again?" Dynamo muttered, backing away as the Strikedramon bashed ferociously against his shield. "Look, I wasn't really up to getting acquainted in this manner…ooffff!!"

The black knight was swept off his feet by XV-mon's sweeping kick, and barely managed to roll away from Aero V-dramon's and Vritramon's energy bursts. Dynamo sprang to his feet, but a couple of missiles detonated in front of him, stunning the 'zombie' group for a while.

"Heh." Metallix gave him a thumbs-up.

Vikaramon was raining down red colored energy balls at Arkadimon, who had its claws raised to shield itself and its master, Lucifer. Shinduramon flew in from behind and fired a series of thunder bolts at the fallen angel.

Lucifer drew a sleek fencing saber from his belt and swung it in a circular motion, creating a miniature windstorm that blew the lightning attack off course. Indramon approached too with his hands raised, maneuvering the gigantic shell on his back and slamming it into the ground. Lucifer swore as he was forced to move away.

Evza meanwhile, was kept occupied by Mihiramon and Majiramon.

"Phantom Pain!" The sorceress chanted, releasing a way of dark energy that shook her two opponents before tossing them to the ground.

The tiger and the dragon pulled themselves up and returned the strike, leaving Evza's scream to ring out as the right sleeve of her gothic coat received a long cut.

Surprisingly, Zelia took no heed of the attacks on her former mistress, but instead found herself watching Makuramon. The monkey had been quietly sneaking away from the battle, carefully watching his back and constantly tapping the stone jug at his belt.

_He must be the one controlling the others. _Zelia concluded, moving silently towards his position.

"Antiramon, are you there?" Makuramon pulled out a small radio. "How is your mission at the power plant proceeding? What's taking so long?"

"I have just finished rerouting the power and charging the systems." The female Deva's voice replied. "I can restore power to this city sector and activate the defense systems at your command."

"Do it then." The monkey hissed. "Power up and weapons and…."

RRROOOAAARRRRR!! A very angry Zelia suddenly pounced on him.


	38. Under Control

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Under Control**

By nightdragon0

The area before the two Digimon was a road winding through a series of warehouse docks. It was late and dark, with the dim streetlamps barely giving off enough light.

One warehouse, an old one with gray paint peeling off its outside walls, was the scene of their battle.

The one known as Tiger Vespamon was currently on the attack. This warrior was a cybernetic hornet with a humanoid form, who retained much of the characteristics of the insect he was based on. His body was slim with a golden coloring and black stripes all around. He had two pairs of translucent insect wings, a samurai-like helmet and wore a red scarf around his neck.

Tiger Vespamon also wielded a pair of sleek fencing swords, glowing with blue energy, which he swung at his opponent.

Ou Ryuumon easily ducked beneath the clumsy attack and whirled around to his foe's back. This Digimon was a golden armored 'Eastern' style dragon, with a long serpent-like body. He too wore a beautifully decorated golden helmet adorn with horns and red jewels, with enough space to let his purple mane fly in the breeze.

This dragon had a pair of three-fingered upper limbs, in which he wielded two silver scimitars. He swung those deadly blades at Tiger Vespamon, knocking the cyborg with the flat sides of his blades and sending Tiger Vespamon spinning to the ground.

"Grrr…you!" Tiger Vespamon sprung to his feet and charged, only to have the serpent-like dragon dodge and whip his face with his dragon tail.

"Rarrr!" Ou Ryuumon executed a spinning maneuver and struck Tiger Vespamon with his tail again, knocking his foe into the warehouse's outer wall. "After all this time, you still lack the skills and discipline to beat me!"

"Hargh! Mach Stinger!" Undaunted, Tiger Vespamon attacked with his special ability, thrusting his twin rapiers at the golden dragon.

"Urghh!" Ou Ryuumon raised his scimitars to block, but was still taking scrapes and blows to his armor until he called out the name of his next attack. "Eisei Ryuu Oujin!" (Eternity Dragon King Blade)

For an instant, Ou Ryuumon transformed into a gigantic version of his scimitar, which thrust into Tiger Vespamon, knocking the cyborg out of his attack. With a scream, Tiger Vespamon hit the ground as one of his weapons went flying, knocking into a set of scaffolding constructed alongside the warehouse.

Ou Ryuumon reverted to his original form, grinning with satisfaction. However, his smile quickly faded as he spotted a frightened Tokomon, a pink baby Digimon with long ears, huddled beneath the falling scaffolding.

"Oh no! Watch out!" Ou Ryuumon dropped both his weapons and threw himself beneath the structure, protecting the Tokomon with his own body as the scaffolding came down on top of them.

Coughing, Tiger Vespamon staggered to his feet and glanced over, spotting Ou Ryuumon trapped beneath the rubble.

"You all right, kid?" Ou Ryuumon panted.

"Mon…mon…" Tokomon squeaked.

"Haha…I'm glad." The golden dragon then turned and looked Tiger Vespamon in the eye.

"What a fool! You would risk yourself to save that child?" Tiger Vespamon pointed his remaining rapier at him. "What sort of a warrior are you?"

"Humph." Ou Ryuumon looked away. "Now's your chance then. Finish me off. Kill me and the clan will be all yours."

"Huh?" Tiger Vespamon gasped.

"However, allow me to ask you something first."

"What is it? Hurry up!"

"Do you know what you will lose if you defeat me? I will tell you that it is something truly precious." Ou Ryuumon closed his eyes. "Even if you have all the power in the world, it will not matter. True strength will never come from that. And then, you will continue only to deceive yourself."

"Wha…then…what is this true strength? Where does this true strength come from?"

"I will tell you. True strength….true strength…is love."

"Love? Wha…?" Tiger Vespamon stood dumbfounded for a while, then dropped to his knees whilst clutching his head. "Oh no! How could I have been so blind? Sensei, for the first time in years, you've opened my heart! I've…I'm the one who's lost!"

"Even you may be able to find true strength one day. Keep looking, long and hard enough within yourself." Ou Ryuumon wiggled himself out of the rubble, carrying Tokomon in his arms. "Indeed…it is…true love."

Ou Ryuumon then glided away into the night, leaving his student to quietly sob to himself.

"Bah, they call this entertainment? It's all a bunch of sloppiness!" Siavon switched the television off and tossed the remote control aside.

It was fortunate that there was no one else inside the train cabin to hear him. Siavon still had a fair distance to go and made use of the extra space to stretch his legs out and lie down to get some much needed rest.

After all, the train wasn't going to stop that close to the Dark Continent and the dragonman had to fly part of the distance for himself.

It seemed like he was always going out of this way to help those dragon kids. However, his thought this time were also drifting towards the raptor. Zelia was her name?

Siavon touched the patched-up section of his chest armor and remembered the girl had been staring at it. There was something about her that almost seemed…familiar. But what?

* * *

"This one?" Janet punched the huge sphere repeatedly until it shattered. However, there turned out to be nothing inside.

Sekata and Zoe were off to the side, but clearly heard Janet's frustrated roar. For what seemed like hours, the trio had been taking apart spheres as large as themselves in search of their imprisoned Aero V-dramon companion.

And without much luck either.

"Guys, I can hear you, but I can't really see clearly." Aero's voice sounded. "I can't move and the view's too blurry from in here…"

"This could take forever…" Zoe sighed.

"I'm starting to agree with you." Sekata flopped down on the ground.

In a fit of rage, Janet kicked the nearest sphere. She failed to note that there was a slight slope to the area, for the sphere rolled up and then came back down towards her.

Without thinking, the Strikedramon stepped sideways…leaving the sphere to zoom past and knock another sphere out of position. This created a chain reaction before Janet's astonished eyes, displacing row after row of spheres.

"Everyone! Run!" Janet yelled.

The sight of dozens of spheres rolling towards them was more than enough motivation for Sekata and Zoe to get moving.

"Hey! What's going on?" Aero shouted. "Huh? GGGAAARRGGGHHH!"

Whatever he was going to say turned into a long scream, which was soon drowned out by the rumbling noises of the spheres.

Zoe dodged left and right, but suddenly stumbled into the path of a boulder-like sphere. Fortunately Sekata was there to drag her out of harm's way, pulling her beneath a raise ledge.

"Keep your head down!" Sekata shouted over the din of the avalanche.

The female dragon ducked and covered her head. Then she felt a pair of arms around her shoulders. It was Sekata, protectively shielding her with his arms and wrapping his wings around them both.

While it wasn't an entirely essential move when it came to safety concerns, it felt…Zoe didn't really know how to describe it. Elated, perhaps?

Then, the rumbling stopped as the avalanche slowed to a halt. Sekata raised his head to look around, then released his grasp and stood up. The Vritramon faced her for a while and almost seemed to blush…however Sekata quickly turned his head away.

"Thanks." Was all she got out. And it didn't really have the tone she wanted it in.

"No problem." Sekata nodded.

"You two all right?" Janet sprinted down. "Sorry about that guys."

"At least we're not flattened or anything." Zoe added in. "Which is more than I can say for…"

All three looked across the bizarre black and white area, which was now littered with the various pieces of the broken spheres. Sekata's eyes fell upon a blue tail sticking out of a pile of shattered bits, and he gestured to the others.

"Aero!" The group took hold of his tail and yanked hard. With a yelp, Aero flew free from the pile and landed headfirst in a ditch, moaning loudly.

"Ooohh…did anyone get the number of that truck?" The dazed dragon muttered, drooling with swirls showing in his eyes.

"How does he look?" Zoe asked.

"Alive, that's for sure." Janet replied, jabbing a finger at his ribs.

"Come on, let's go." Sekata grabbed Aero's tail and begun walking, dragging the Aero V-dramon along with him.

Truth was, he didn't even know where to go and was walking in random direction with the girls in tow. That was when the group felt the ground shaking beneath their feet.

"What the hell?" Janet growled, bracing herself.

"Something must be going on." Sekata muttered. "Outside…"

* * *

"RRarrghhh!"

"Hey! Get off me! Gargh!" Makuramon yelled, swatting uselessly at Zelia's head. However the raptor already had her jaws firmly clamped around his wrist, and was shoving her body weight against him.

The radio went flying as Makuramon rolled down on the ground and fell into the open, joining the already chaotic battle scene.

"Hello?" Antiramon's voice came over the radio. "And fire?"

"Yes! Gargh!" Makuramon shouted. "Aw crap! Wait! Not yet!"

CRUNCH! Zelia stomped on the radio in mid-battle, cutting off their communications.

"Hurgh!" Junon backed away and blocked another claw swipe with her ribbon weapons.

She knocked Dynasmon's next attack away and ducked beneath his arm, spinning around and tripping the dragon knight. Whilst he was down, Junon threw one of the ribbons around the Dynasmon's neck and locked him in a chokehold.

"What's going on here?" Junon demanded.

Steve / Dynasmon didn't reply, but instead thrust his elbows backwards into Junon's body. As the pink knight grunted in pain, Steve reached over and threw Junon head over heels. She hit the ground hard and quickly rolled away before her opponent could stomp down on her.

Still on the floor, Junon kicked Steve's shin, stunning the dragon knight for a second. She used the time to pull herself to her feet and deliver a couple of kicks to his chest. Steve lurched over, as if in pain, but as his head turned up, his mouth was open…as if struggling to speak.

"Hmm?" Junon stared. She then turned and spotted Makuramon struggling to get Zelia off him. Unfortunately, she spent a moment too long looking.

Dynasmon suddenly launched back into action and raised both his arms, palms out-front. A laser stream fired out from each palm, the Dragon's Roar attack, and caught Junon off guard. With a scream, the Rhodo Knightmon was thrown against a pile of rubble and knocked out.

"Damn! Junon!" Dynamo gasped, noticing the scene. "Gargh!"

The Strikedramon was still attacking him, and Dynamo had just taken a blow to his head. Metallix leapt in from behind knocked Strikedramon off, pinning her to the ground.

"Hey! I gotcha covered!" The metallic wolf called.

_Man, he's actually good for something. _Dynamo thought as he ran towards the fallen Junon. His path was immediately blocked by Aero V-dramon.

With the blue dragon being in too close range to use his lance, Dynamo dropped both his weapons and locked hands with the Aero V-dramon, grunting and shoving. From the corner of his eye, Dynamo saw the Vritramon and XV-mon preparing to fire.

Thinking quickly, Dynamo grabbed the Aero V-dramon and used him as a shield to block the incoming energy attacks. The blue dragon howled in pain and Dynamo threw it into its companions, knocking all three down.

"Gurgh…good thing they don't fight like their normal selves." Dynamo panted, retrieving his weapons. "Eh? Huh?"

The area had begun shaking, with some strange rumbling and humming noises coming from beneath the ground.

* * *

All around the ancient courtyard, various forms of laser cannons emerged, aroused from their hiding places. None of the combatants took notice of the old weapons until they started firing.

Sorceress Evza drew back as a laser caused a small explosion between Mihiramon and Majiramon.

"The ancient technology has been activated?" Evza wondered with curiosity. "Hmm…the Devas managed to find its source? I should look as well."

Chanting a soft spell, Evza faded into the darkness of the night, shrouded by her cloak of invisibility. Meanwhile, the tiger and dragon Devas ducked under the cover of several rocks.

"Hey what's going on?" Mihiramon growled. "Did somebody seriously screw up the plan?"

"Don't ask me." Majiramon huffed, jabbing a dragon claw at his comrade. "You're the one who was all up for a straight up fight."

Dynasmon, likewise, was busy dodging laser fire and trying to find cover.

An old building by the street was hit by the defense systems, toppling it over. The rubble both hid and separated the group of Devas fighting Lucifer and Arkadimon from the main battle.

As Dynamo ducked the next barrage of laser fire, he saw Vritramon and XV-mon getting buried beneath another pile of rubble, while their Aero V-dramon companion hit the ground face-first, probably unconscious. Metallix was still busy with his Strikedramon opponent, so Dynamo dashed across to try and get to Junon.

Along the way however, the struggling pair of Makuramon and Zelia rolled straight into his path. Startled, Dynamo stumbled and stepped on Makuramon's stone jug, shattering it with a loud bang.

Immediately, several soft screams emitted as four small toys were thrown about the area.

However, that wasn't Dynamo's immediate concern, for he fell forward and landed on Junon. The female knight woke up just in time to see Dynamo on top of her body, with his face resting on her chest between her boobs.

"YOU!" Junon's face went red with rage beneath her helmet.

"No wait! I can explain!" Dynamo protested. "It was all a mistake!"

"MISTAKE THIS YOU HORNY, PERVERTED JACKASS!"

"Wait…"

BAM!! To viewer standing far away, it would seem like Dynamo's shadowy form flew vertically up into the air, screaming all the way, and then came back down, landing with a loud thud.

"Humph, men. They're all just the same." Junon muttered, cracking her knuckles.

"Ow…" Dynamo moaned (With stars swirling around his head).

Several feet away, Makuramon was staring in disbelief.

"NNNOOO! You've messed everything up!" The monkey Deva yelled, glaring furiously at Zelia.

"Rrrrrrr…" Zelia crouched low and hissed, preparing to lunge.

"What the? I'm stuck in this stupid sphere again!" Aero's voice suddenly sounded. "Zelia? Hey Zelia! Is that you!"

Both the raptor and the Deva turned towards the source of the voice, the glowing blue sphere off to the side. The two eyed the sphere, then each other, then the sphere again and leapt towards it at the same time. Zelia managed to both step on Makuramon's hand and grab Aero's sphere in her jaws. She then knocked the monkey aside and sprinted.

"Guess I shouldn't be complaining." Aero sighed. "But Zelia, did you really have to pick me up in your mouth? Hey!"

Zelia curled her tongue around the sphere and held it in her mouth as she ran, with Makuramon yelling in frustration behind her. The raptor turned and looked back, just to be sure that the monkey wasn't catching up.

And she ran straight into Junon, who had just finished pounding on the hapless Dynamo. Junon cried out in surprise and hit the ground face-first. Zelia fell backwards and gulped hard, almost choking and not catching her breath.

Junon was still on the floor moaning when Zelia took off in another direction. It was then that she remembered Aero and put a claw into her mouth to retrieve his sphere…only to find that it wasn't there.

_Hmm? Did I drop him along the way? _She wondered. _No, I would've heard him call if I did. Unless…_

Zelia hiccupped and suddenly stopped, putting both her front claws to her jaws in shock.

_Uh-oh! I think I swallowed him! _

However, she didn't have much time to think, because the huge shadow of Dynasmon was suddenly looming over her.

WHAM!

* * *

"Wha…rarrrgghhh…" Sekata moaned, staring at the world around him. "I…I can't feel my body again! Damn! We must be out of that dimension inside the jug!"

Even though he couldn't move his head, the puppet form of Sekata saw the night sky above with the area he was in surrounded with strange tall buildings and large piles of rubble. Of course, everything looked gigantic to him now that he was smaller.

There was shouting and sounds of explosions all around too, as if a huge battle was going on.

"Sekata?" Zoe's voice called. "You here?"

"Zoe! Gargh! Where are you?" Sekata struggled in vain, unable to produce any sort of movement from his puppet body.

"Must be close by if you can hear me." Zoe replied. "But if we can't move again, then we must the back in the real world."

"Yeah, I figured that out." Sekata spoke. "Then what do we…aaarrggghhh!"

Sekata cried out in surprise as a huge hand grabbed his body and picked him up. It was one of the Devas, Indramon the horse, who'd found him. The gold and purple Deva had morphed his front hooves into a pair of five fingered hands, which he used to handle Sekata's puppet form.

"There you are!" Indramon growled. "I'll need to make use of you."

"Grrr…let go of me!" Sekata hissed furiously.

"Sekata!" Zoe called after them, although her voice was soon left far behind.

Indramon ignored both of their voices completely and raised the Vritramon puppet. Rocks and stones flew everywhere as Sekata's actual Vritramon body burst out from beneath the rubble, letting off a thunderous roar.

"Gargh!" Indramon ducked as several lasers flew over his head and maneuvered his hovering shell-shaped horn to block the rest. "Vritramon, attack the laser turrets now!"

The fiery dragon did as it was commanded, blasting with its arm-mounted cannons and blowing the lasers apart without too much effort.

"Good. Now I can go after that Lucifer again." Indramon grinned.

Sekata growled softly, but there was nothing he could do as the horse Deva strode confidently along with both his toy and his actual body in tow. Indramon had taken several steps forward when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and spun around.

"Wha…garghh! Urgghh!" Indramon stuttered, staring into the eyes of his assailant…the Vritramon he thought he had complete control of.

"Sorry, but I'm tired of playing along with your little game." The towering Vritramon form spoke, grabbing the Deva around the neck. His eyes too, had changed from their yellowish glow back to their normal blue color.

"How? But…but you're in here!" Indramon choked, shaking the puppet in his hand.

"I'm not doing anything!" Sekata's voice sounded from the puppet.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" The Vritramon grinned, tightening his grasp. "Too bad you won't be alive long enough to hear the answer.

Vritramon covered Indramon's mouth and twisted the Deva's neck, breaking it with a deafening snap. Satisfied, he tossed Indramon's lifeless body into the rubble and blew it to ashes with a burst from his laser cannons.

The red dragon then strode over and retrieved the puppet that currently contained Sekata's soul.

"Hey! Who are you?" Sekata demanded. "What are you doing in my body?"

"Oh come on. I'd think that you would be the last dragon in the Digital World to ask me that." His body replied.

A cold wave of fear and confusion ran through Sekata. That thing was speaking with his own voice, but there was definitely a different tone to it, one very scornful and arrogant. Almost like…

"No…it couldn't be…" Sekata gasped.

"Hahaha, yes it is." The Vritramon laughed. "Perhaps your mind currently isn't in this body, however mine still is. I just let those Devas think they had control over me."

"You…" Sekata stared. "You're An…"

"Oh don't spoil the surprise just yet." Vritramon shoved Sekata's puppet form into his belt pouch and zipped the compartment shut, drowning out all of the puppet Sekata's muffled cries.

With that done, he continued onward and flew to the top of a nearby warehouse to watch the battle. He knew for one thing that this was the night that the full moon would disappear. And when it did, Sekata and the others would be returned to their proper bodies.

For now however, 'Vritramon' still had a little time left.

"This is a most interesting scenario indeed." He remarked, folding his arms. "Now, just to decide where I should come in…"

* * *

"Grrr…not again!" A soft voice screeched, obviously very frustrated. "Why am I still stuck like this? AARRGGHH!"

It however, was a voice Dynamo found awfully familiar as he slowly pulled himself to his knees. Junon was on her knees nearby and seemed stunned, but otherwise all right.

"You hear that voice?" Dynamo asked.

"Uh…I believe so." Junon nodded.

Dynamo's gaze fell upon a small Strikedramon puppet lying in the rubble and he curiously reached out for it.

"Huh? No! Not you!" The 'puppet' cried. "Anyone but YOU!"

"Hey, that you in there?" Dynamo wondered, giving the puppet a shake.

"Get your dirty paws off me dammit!"

"But if you're here…" Dynamo continued. "Then…"

"Yo! Whew!" Metallix interrupted, leaping over. "I think I finally lost her."

"Who?" The black knight glanced around.

With a loud crash, the Strikedramon's actual body burst through a nearby wall, leaving the remains of the stone structure to collapse.

"Or maybe I didn't." Metallix gulped.

"Hey! That's my body!" The puppet in Dynamo's hand gasped.

Letting off a low growl, the Strikedramon charged. Metallix blocked the first claw swing, and then ducked beneath the swinging tail. Dynamo too had to flip backwards as the commando dragon launched a spinning kick that almost took Metallix off his feet. However, a shoulder charge from the dragon was finally successful in knocking the cyborg wolf to the ground.

"Hmmm…" Dynamo muttered, raising the puppet. "Hold it there you!"

The Strikedramon immediately stopped and remained motionless in its standing position.

"Grrr…you…" The puppet continued its cursing.

"So, that's how they're controlling your bodies, new girl?" Dynamo looked up at the tiny puppet. "Well, I'm pretty exhausted, but I have control of your body now. Better than the Devas using it, eh?"

"Shut up! What are you getting at?"

"Look, since we both have something against the Devas, why don't you tell me where the rest of your friend's puppets are?" Dynamo suggested. "And I can use them against the Devas for you. Something like a truce for now, you know?"

"What? So you can turn us into your slaves once we're done?" The puppet's voice yelled. "Hey I personally know what it's like making alliances with you! And I'm not about to get stabbed in the back by you again! And this would be what? The third time?"

"Erm…again? Third time?" Dynamo shrugged. "Wait a minute, I recognize that tone of voice!"

"After knowing me for so long Dynamo, it's taken you long enough to figure out!"

"Princess? Hey so you are alive after all!"

"You sound so cheerful about it." Janet's voice hissed.

"Yes…I mean no…I mean…" Dynamo stuttered.

"Mind telling me what's going on here?" Metallix scratched his head with a paw. Unfortunately, he failed to notice the incoming laser blast that knocked a nearby rooftop down and sent it crashing onto his head with a loud scream.

Standing across the courtyard was Zoe's XV-mon form, standing in its battle stance. Behind her was Makuramon, with the toy form of the XV-mon clutched tightly in his hands.

"Those things are ours!" The monkey gave them an angry glance. "I'm the one who got control of their bodies in the first place!"

"Well you ain't getting this one from me so easily!" Dynamo declared, while Junon sat behind and watched the scenario playing out with curiosity.

"Grrr…I hate this!" Janet fumed. "I can't move a muscle and…"

_(Jan? Hey Jan, can you hear me?)_

"Wha…Zoe? Hey how are you doing that?"

_(I seem to have a bit of my powers back for some reason, but nothing major yet.) _Zoe telepathically told her. _(But I think it's because the spell's effects are wearing off. Remember them talking about finishing the second ritual before the full moon ends? I think that the full moon will disappear pretty soon.)_

"And we'll get our real bodies back after that?" Janet whispered, being careful not to let anyone else hear.

_(That's what I'm thinking. So it might be in our best interest to keep them occupied.) _

"Hmm…I know just how to do that." Janet muttered. "Hey Dynamo! Not scared of the monkey and his magic tricks are you?"

"What?" Dynamo gasped. "Hey! This pipsqueak doesn't scare me!"

"Oh really? Then why are you trembling?"

"I am NOT!"

"Hey, you're holding me in your hand. Think I wouldn't be able to feel it?"

"Grrr…all right! I've had enough of you monkey-punk!" Dynamo jabbed a finger in Makuramon's direction. "Go get him!"

At his command, Janet's Strikedramon body lunged forward. Makuramon immediately dodged and sent Zoe's XV-mon form to intercept, the two dragons clashing and locking both claws together.

_Great, now I've just got to keep provoking Dynamo. _Janet thought, watching 'herself' and Zoe fighting it out. _And hope that my body doesn't cause too much damage to Zoe's. _

The currently mindless XV-mon pushed away, ducked beneath its Strikedramon counterpart's arm swing and rammed hard, sending the armored dragon flying into the nearest wall.

_On second thought, perhaps I should be hoping that she doesn't cause too much damage to me…_ Janet sighed inwardly.

* * *

"Sukara!" Vikaramon continued to spit out the red energy balls from his mouth, keeping Arkadimon pinned down.

The ancient city's defense systems had suddenly been activated, unfortunately firing indiscriminately at friend or foe. Many of the buildings around them had collapsed, leaving just Vikaramon and Shinduramon to continue the fight with Lucifer and his 'pet'.

"Hmmm…these defense systems are impressive, but they're wasting too much of my time." Lucifer said to himself. "They can't deter me…not when I'm this close. Perhaps I'll have Arkadimon utilize some more of his powers."

Meanwhile, Shinduramon flew behind Vikaramon and nodded to the boar Deva, a signal that they were going to team up on Arkadimon while Lucifer seemed distracted.

Vikaramon launched another volley of his red energy attack, then moved in with a sudden charge. Arkadimon shifted its stance, however not quickly enough and was tossed into the air where Shinduramon struck with a series of lightning bolts.

The demon roared in fury and crashed to the ground, panting. The two Devas then landed side by side and launched their attacks at the same time.

"Arkadimon! Now!" Lucifer ordered.

Arkadimon braced itself against the ground and opened a section on its chest, drawing the energy attacks right into it, much to the shock of Vikaramon and Shinduramon.

"Go! Dot Matrix!" Lucifer grinned.

The demon's response was a roar accompanied by a powerful energy wave that blurred out everything in sight. Specifically, Arkadimon had been absorbing the Devas' attacks and threw the force back at them, along with some of its own energy.

Both Devas were immediately disintegrated and their remaining data absorbed, drawn into the chest cavity of Arkadimon. The synthetic demon then dropped to one knee, giving off a mournful groan of pain.

"No, get on your feet." Lucifer ordered, sheathing his sword. "I must have you with enough energy to open the portal!"

With a howl of protest, Arkadimon complied. The creature wasn't entirely invincible as the battle had inflicted some damage on it. Arkadimon had tapped into much of its power reserves to launch the exceptionally powerful Dot Matrix.

In addition, the tests Evza and himself had been performing on the creature to make sure it would be able to open a stable portal had left it noticeably drained. And with it using much more energy than it did at its lower stages, their Arkadimon might not last too long.

_But it will be enough. _Lucifer told himself. _Enough for me to work with. _

On a nearby rooftop, Vritramon was crouched low, having watched the entire battle. The red dragon considered jumping in, but instead chose to remain hidden as Lucifer directed Arkadimon to another prominent location.

The ancient structure consisted of three curved pillars, designed like claws and surrounding a circular design in the floor. Lucifer and Arkadimon stepped onto the spot, which rumbled as a hidden elevator activated itself, descending with the pair onboard.

"Hmmm…" Vritramon muttered, before leaping off into the darkness.

* * *

"Makuramon Sir, can you hear me?" Antiramon tapped the radio. "I've activated the defense systems, but there are some problems getting control of them. The system's locked me out."

However, there was nothing but static over the radio.

"Sir, are you there sir?" Antiramon put the radio away with an annoyed glanced.

The rabbit Deva stood in what seemed like a generator room, with a featureless gray generator grinding behind her, giving off loud hisses of steam and metallic hums. In front of that were a table of screens and monitors, all of which Antiramon had painstakingly gotten up and running.

Antiramon was wondering what was happening outside when she sensed another presence in the room and sprang into a battle stance.

"I know you are here." Antiramon's eyes narrowed.

"Very good." Evza replied, materializing from the shadows. "It takes one with considerable skills in the magic arts to see through my cloak of darkness."

"You are not the only one who has studied them intensively."

"Phantom Pain!" Evza put her palms together and created a dark wave.

"Hurh!" Antiramon nimbly dodged the wave, which simply turned and came back for her. "Ashipatoravana!"

Producing a pair of enchanted axes, the rabbit Deva hurled them into the dark wave, dispersing it completely.

"Nazar Nail!" The Lilithmon brought out her right demon hand from beneath her robes and swung, releasing a crimson red 'slashing' projectile.

Once again, Antiramon tossed her twin axes. Unfortunately, the magical weapons bounced off Evza's attack and spun wildly around the room. One of them pierced into the power generator.

With a crackle of electricity, smoke began pouring from the old machine. Both Digimon looked at each other, and then the generator before hastily taking cover.

It was just in time too, for parts of the generator blew up, cutting the power off and plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

The raptor was really mad, pulling herself up and growling ferociously. Steve would definitely have felt intimidated if not for his current state of mind.

_She has a good reason to be angry with me. _Steve thought. _Sekata and the others…they all do. I…the Devas…damn they used me to betray them! And I was helpless to stop it! Why…why am I so useless?_

The Devas had used him as an experiment after his accident with Arkadimon. They has restored his crippled body and charged him up enough to take his Mega form of Dynasmon.

Steve would've been happy to finally have his Mega, a much more powerful form that he, amongst his friends, had always lacked. But he never wanted to have it this way.

Although they had restored his ability to move, the metallic implants along his spine and various parts of his body were also linked to a sophisticated control mechanism. And with it, the Devas had taken control of every voluntary function of his body.

He had watched helplessly as they used his voice and body to deceive the others, while Steve within was screaming in outrage.

From what he knew, the Devas had him on a sort of 'auto-pilot' most of the time, where the control mechanism tapped into his mind and made him behave as 'normal'. Steve really didn't know how to describe it. It was as if his mind was sometimes lost in a fog, but he hadn't had any control over himself since the incident.

"There, I still have our Dynasmon's control device." Steve heard the voice of Majiramon the dragon in his mind. "I see him over there with the raptor. We can use him to take care of her for good!"

"Hey, didn't the boss say something about not using the thing to directly control him too much?" Mihiramon's voice sounded.

"Aw screw him! Let's not waste this chance."

Steve realized that the pair was probably close by and watching his fight with Zelia. He felt the shocks running through his body, as it was for every time they took direct control of him, and his arms moved.

As he was preparing to use the Dragon's Roar, Zelia rolled to the side and pounced. His body involuntary cried out in pain as Zelia knocked him over. As the two rolled about, Zelia clamped her jaws onto his right hand. With her tail, Zelia whipped at his legs hard, sending waves of pain through his body.

"Grrr…come on! Come on!" Steve's voice sounded, although it was not will of his own, but Majiramon controlling him.

His left hand curled into a fist and repeatedly punched Zelia's head until the raptor was forced to let go. Steve then kicked her across the courtyard, smashing her into a wall.

Zelia came back with blinding speed and rammed him in the chest, taking the wind out of his lungs for a second.

"Come on! How can she be this fast?" 'His' voice muttered again. At the same time, Steve started to feel a great strain on his body, as if a wave of exhaustion was suddenly setting in.

"Don't you think you're overdoing it?" Mihiramon asked.

However, Zelia didn't give the duo time to converse any longer as she attacked Steve again. This time, Steve lashed out with a tail whip, followed by a spinning kick that took Zelia down.

Steve pounced on her, pinning the raptor down with his body weight and grasping his right claw around her neck. Zelia hissed and choked, with sparks flying from the metallic components on her head and chest.

His left hand slowly rose up, palm outstretched with the jewel within showing. And it was beginning to charge up for his Dragon's Roar attack.

Zelia stared at him with rage in her eyes, sensing her impending doom and struggling from her life.

"Zelia? Hey what's going on?" It was Katsu's voice, coming from inside a pouch the raptor had around her body.

"Damn! It must be a big battle out there!" Cimons continued. "It's shaking like crazy!"

"Zelia, you all right?" Adrian called. "Hey Zelia!"

"Gargh…garkk…" Zelia grunted, trying to force her words out.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve spotted the XV-mon and Strikedramon bodies of Zoe and Janet slashing away at each other. They too had been trapped in puppet bodies and their real forms taken control of to be used for the Devas' battle.

_All this…because of me…_

Steve felt the charge in his claw growing stronger.

"Rarrghh! Gargghh!" Zelia hissed.

_Everyone's…like…this…_

The dragon desperately wanted to close his eyes.

_No…I don't…want to do this! But…but I can't…can't…do…anything…_

Time seemed to stop from everyone but Steve as an object around his neck snapped and fell. Steve's eyes were fixed on the leather choker, whose strap had apparently broken during his struggle with Zelia.

He saw that orange colored keychain, shaped like a sun with patterns, falling…falling and landing on Zelia's forehead.

_What did…that represent? _A voice seemed to echo in Steve's mind. The voice didn't belong to anyone…not Zelia or his friends, nor his captors.

It was for once…his own.

_Courage…that's what it is. That's what I am! Burning Courage! Flamedramon!_

With a will he'd never known before, Steve fought back. It seemed like an eternity of struggling, but for the first time in ages, he moved his firing arm. Majiramon and Mihiramon screamed as Steve's stray shot blew them away. However, his shooting didn't stop there, and continued even as Zelia pushed up against him.

Steve briefly remembered blowing a lot of the scenery up, in particular the floor. For the next moment, he was plunging down into the depths. A glittering object was falling together with him…the crest of courage keychain.

_What does it represent?_


	39. Rite of Passage

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Rite of Passage**

By nightdragon0

"Huh?" Vritramon snapped his head up.

The explosions occurring all around were pretty much an expected thing for the past few minutes. However, this series of blasts caught his attention in particular.

The dragon knight, Dynasmon, had not only blow his 'controllers' away, but also disrupted the battle between Makuramon's and Dynamo's groups. From what he saw, Majiramon had been buried under a pile of rubble while Mihiramon lay moaning off to the side. Dynasmon and the Raptordramon had fallen down to a lower level when the aforementioned dragon knight had blown the floor out.

Junon and Dynamo had backed out of the fight in the midst of the confusion. That left the monkey Deva, still in control of Sekata's XV-mon friend.

"Chaotic. Now that's a whole lot of fun." The armored red dragon laughed, reaching for his belt pouch.

"Hey, what are you doing with me?" Sekata's voice sounded.

"Well that depends on what you see it as."

"Grrrr! AncientGreymon! It's my body you want, isn't it?"

"My boy, you're far too shallow. And you expect me to spill out all my plans?" AncientGreymon, in Sekata's Vritramon body, laughed. "I'm not your typical villain you know? Anyway, I wouldn't really want or need your body since I'm technically already in it."

"Then what's your objective?"

"To get my own."

"Huh?" Sekata gasped.

"Oops, probably said too much." Vritramon lifted Sekata's puppet form and turned him around. "Look there, see anything familiar?"

"Zoe!" Sekata stared.

Makuramon was recovering from Steve's frenzied attack earlier, with Zoe's real body still under his control.

"I'll give you a little update. The spell's effect ties in with the full moon, which will be disappearing pretty soon." Vritramon explained. "So, Makuramon's gonna need to perform his ritual soon if he wants to keep control of your bodies."

"And you're telling me this because?" Sekata queried.

"He obviously can't get the others back, so why not just settle for one?"

"Zoe…"

"Seems you need another favor from me." Vritramon folded his arms and cracked his neck. "Ouch, they certainly left your body very stiff."

"You know I despise you with every form of my being." Sekata hissed.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment." Vritramon unceremoniously shoved the puppet Sekata back into the belt pouch and leapt down onto the scene.

"Hmm?" Makuramon brought his head up just as Vritramon fired on him with his arm blasters. "Urgh!"

The monkey half jumped and half rolled away, clutching his side in pain.

"Sekata? Is that you?" Zoe's voice sounded from the toy Makuramon was holding.

"You…how'd you get free?" Makuramon demanded.

"Like I said before, your plan has flaws." The armored dragon grinned, readying his weapons.

* * *

Pain…it was the first thing that hit his mind.

Steve felt that he was lying on his back on the cold metal flooring. Slowly, he remembered his struggle, the bits and pieces that had brought him here. He was back in Flamedramon form too, and probably on one of the lower levels of the ancient city.

It was strangely quiet, as if the sounds of the battle had either died down or were too far above to be heard. Water was dripping from close by, and Steve could hear those splashes next to his ear.

The pain coursed through his body again. Steve felt that he was covered in blood, wounds and scars. He felt…but dared not open his eyes or even move. Could he still move? Was he too badly injured? Or did he merely dread finding out the truth?

"Steve…Steve…please answer me!"

_The voice…it was…_

But what if he tried and couldn't? It had taken so much just to move his own arm earlier. However, something else came into Steve's mind.

_What does it represent?_

Yes, the symbol of courage. Steve had been entrusted with that…and he had already failed once. He would not do so again, not if there was still hope. And with that resolution, Steve forced the feelings into his battered body.

"Ugh…Jan?" Steve managed.

"Steve! You're alive!"

"Jan…just so you know, that wasn't really me back there." Steve whispered.

"I know." Janet's voice replied. "In those last moments, I could see it from my position.

"I'm sorry. That's really all that I can say, accept it or not."

"Steve, this all started after that incident where Arkadimon stabbed you, didn't it?" Janet confirmed. "We didn't mean to leave you alone like that."

"Haha, that's something I should've realized much earlier." Steve let off a long sigh. "But still…I'd be lying if I said that I didn't doubt you."

"I have to say the same." Janet admitted. "Guess we both have things to be sorry for."

"But it was my bitterness…that they used against you guys. Now everyone's like this…and I'm the one to blame."

"The spell won't last much longer, according to Zoe. Just a while more and I'll be free of this puppet's body!"

"There might not be enough time." Steve took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes.

The room around him was a relatively dark and partially collapsed storage room. The water he'd heard dripping was coming from a broken pipe, and sparks occasionally fizzled from the open circuits on the gray walls.

Steve spotted the Strikedramon puppet lying amongst the rubble and Zelia's limp form slumped against the wall. The Raptordramon seemed to be breathing, but her cybernetic components were crackling with electricity. Right next to Zelia was a power box, marked with a thunderbolt-shaped icon.

It was agonizing for the Flamedramon to even move a muscle, however it hit Steve that at least the metallic implants along his spine and bones had done some good.

"Steve, are you…" Janet began.

"It hurts bad." Steve gritted his fangs, trying to keep his brain from screaming out. With a great deal of effort, Steve flipped himself over onto his stomach. "You think…Zelia could help us?"

"She's the only one who can actually fight right now, but seems like she's shorted out." Janet remarked.

"That's what I figured." Steve painstakingly moved his arms and legs, slowly dragging his battered body towards the power box on the wall.

It was hard for Janet to simply watch and not be able to do anything about it. Completely focused on his own task, Steve kept on crawling. Upon reaching his target, Steve raised his claws and ripped the box open.

"What are you going to do?" Janet gasped.

"Charge Zelia up." Steve responded weakly. "They put a series of metal implants into my back. Those will serve as conductors to her."

Steve indicated Zelia's body with his snout as he started pulling on the wires inside the power box.

"You don't know how strong the current could be!" Janet cried. "It could kill you!"

"If it doesn't, then Zelia or one of the others might." Steve said softly.

"Don't say that Steve! You can still come back to us!"

"No…I'm too far gone…this time." Steve continued. He shifted his tail and placed it on top of Zelia's chestplate. "But if there's a last thing I want to do, it'll be something to help everyone…for once."

"Steve NO!"

"Tell them, I'm sorry." Steve finished.

With that, the Flamedramon plunged both his claws deep into the power box…and screamed in pain as the electrical charges flowed through his entire body.

* * *

With a snarl, Zoe's XV-mon body moved in to intercept Vritramon's attack. Makuramon leapt away as the two dragons clashed, holding tightly onto the toy that he was using to control Zoe.

The XV-mon swung at Vritramon, with one of her fists catching him in the chest. The red dragon blocked a second attack, but was knocked back by a tail swing.

"Hmm…not bad." Vritramon hissed.

"Hey, don't hurt her!" Sekata whispered from his belt.

"Oh I wouldn't worry so much about that! Hargh!"

Vritramon used her shoulders as a support and flipped over her as the XV-mon charged. The blue dragon turned and threw a clumsy punch, which allowed Vritramon to catch her wrist. He shifted his body and twisted her arm, flinging the XV-mon onto the floor.

With his opponent downed for a few moments, Vritramon turned his arm blasters on Makuramon and fired. Though the agile Deva sprinted away, Vritramon was swift enough to fire in two different directions.

The first shot caused an explosion at the monkey's feet that stopped him in his tracks. A second shot was aimed at an old building nearby, which collapsed and sent tons of sand and rubble raining down upon them.

"Gargh! Argh!" Makuramon screeched in panic.

AncientGreymon let off a ferocious roar and pushed off the ground, slamming into the Deva with full force. The screaming monkey was sent rolling into the rubble as Vritramon emerged holding Zoe's puppet in hand.

"You could probably learn a lot from me." He smirked, with a wink that was obviously meant for Sekata.

The latter was about to respond when Zoe's voice spoke up.

"Sekata? Is that you?"

"In a way." Vritramon quipped. "You all right?"

"Yeah I guess."

Sekata desperately wanted to say something. But that would mean revealing that the Vritramon there wasn't really him, but the secret essence of AncientGreymon that dwelled within him. Sekata didn't want to drag Zoe into his problems, which was one of the reasons why he'd kept all this to himself.

The other reason was that he didn't want her constantly worrying about him.

However, Sekata couldn't contemplate his situation for much longer, because Vritramon used a hand and shoved his puppet form deeper into the pouch, muffling out anything he could've tried to say.

"Your body seems fine too." Vritramon knelt down beside the motionless XV-mon form, which had remained that way since Makuramon lost control of Zoe's toy.

"That's good to hear." Zoe replied, with somewhat of an upbeat tone in her voice.

"The spell will be over soon." Vritramon continued. "Very soon…"

Sekata felt the Vritramon claw tightening around his puppet form. AncientGreymon was plotting something…and Sekata knew it all too well that the ancient dragon never undertook something that resulted in zero gains for himself.

_He could just perform that ritual for himself and take our bodies as his own! _Sekata realized. What horrified him even more was that both Zoe and himself would be as helpless to stop it as they would've been in the hands of Makuramon.

His fate was to be decided by his greatest nemesis.

However, there was no more time for thoughts as the 'huge' claw lifted his tiny puppet form out of the belt pouch.

* * *

Janet watched in a mixture of shock and awe as the electrical currents flowed right through Steve and into Zelia's body. She could actually see the energy crackling as it gave off a light blue glow.

Zelia's eyes suddenly opened and the raptor begun howling as well. The underground room suddenly became as bright as day, the flash blinding Janet for the moment as she had no way to close her eyes.

Next followed several moments of snarling and loud bashing sounds from close by. When Janet could finally see again, the situation did not look good.

Zelia was up, and keeping Steve pinned down against the ground. Her velociraptor killer claw was poised inches above Steve's neck, whilst the Flamedramon had both hands pressed against its edge. Steve was still conscious, but was either too weak or simply had no will to fight back.

"Grrrrr…" Zelia hissed. "You!"

"Zelia! No!" Janet shouted. "Don't do it! You don't understand!"

"You…you have a good reason for being mad at me." Steve grunted weakly. "I'll understand if you use that thing…"

"Steve was under control of the Devas then!" Janet interrupted. "I heard the whole story from him just now! It wasn't his fault!"

"What if it's just another trick?" Zelia growled, unwavering. "You're so quick to believe it, but you don't really know, do you?"

"I…" Janet staggered.

"I can't undo the past." Steve spoke up. "And neither can you. Even if my death would…"

"Steve! Will you shut up about that?" Janet snapped. "Is that all you can think of? Slipping into your own depression?"

Zelia seemed surprised to see Steve's eyes widen in reaction, and released her claw slightly.

"You fought through it once, and it helped save our butts for a while! You can fight through it again if you'll only let yourself!" Janet continued. "I know this because….there are….just some things you have to look into your heart to see."

"Look into…one's heart?" Zelia whispered, rubbing her chest. The raptor released her hold and backed away as Steve gasped for breath. "Do I…even have one?"

"It's not just about that physical heart inside of you." Janet tried her best to explain. "There's another heart…one that you can only feel."

"Feel?"

"You'll never see it, but you'll know it's there."

"I…" Zelia touched the left side of her chest again. "Aero knew it was there. And I…I know it too. I never really understood what he meant. But now, I can hear him telling me to trust in my heart."

"Is that…perhaps that's what I'd really lost." Steve panted. "My heart…and my will to keep fighting."

"Will you be all right?" Zelia turned towards him.

"Yeah." Steve managed a slight nod.

"My heart chooses to trust you." Zelia spoke. "And so does Aero….even from in here."

"In where?" Janet asked, confused.

"Well, I'm afraid I had a little accident while carrying that sphere in my mouth. And…"

"Zelia! You swallowed him?" Janet blurted out.

"Oh gross." Steve muttered.

"I didn't intend to." Zelia replied. "But I have a strange feeling that I need to look for his body."

"That's probably just indigestion." Steve laughed.

"Steve!" Janet snapped. "How can you make jokes at a time like this?"

"Just to prove that it's really me now?"

"Oh I give up." Janet sighed. "Zelia, I think you'd better go. The spell will be wearing off soon, and you need to get Aero back to his body ASAP."

"And how about you?" Steve asked.

"I have a feeling I know who's taking care of mine." Janet growled. "Just hurry Zelia."

"Affirmative." Zelia glanced towards the opening in the ceiling, then moved over to belt pouch that was lying on the floor. "Are you three still there?"

"Bloody sick and really dizzy." Came Adrian's voice.

"If that's your definition of OK." Moaned Cimons. "We'll live."

Nodding, Zelia took several steps back and leapt, bounding against the wall and springing up through the opening.

"At least you're all right now." Steve staggered to his feet. "But I…I…"

Suddenly, the Flamedramon collapsed, hitting the cold floor with a loud thud.

"Steve!" Janet screamed. "Steve!"

"Hmm?" Katsu spoke up. "Something's happening!"

Indeed, the bag containing the toys of the trio had begun to glow with a bluish light. In a bright flash, three beams of light shot out, flying out through the opening and into the night sky.

Janet didn't have time to scream or view the spectacle for much longer, for she too found her world engulfed within blinding lights.

And then, she was flying.

* * *

"AAARRRRRGGGGHHH!" Katsu stopped screaming and suddenly found himself struggling.

Clamped close to him in the darkness were the wiggling forms of Adrian and Cimons. That was the way it'd been for the period of time they'd been stuck inside that bag, only now that it felt a little different.

"Hey! I can feel my body!" The Shadramon cried. "We're…we're back to normal!"

"Yeah we figured that much…" Adrian cut in. "Now let's just figure out where we are."

"And more importantly, how to get out of here!" Cimons continued. "I've spent enough time stuck within 3 feet of the two of you!"

"Right back at ya pal!" Adrian snarled.

"Quit fighting you two." Katsu yelled. "Looks like they stuffed us inside one of the broom closets."

"How can you tell?" Adrian queried.

"Because there's a broom stuck in my face. Can you blast us out of here?" Katsu grunted. "My hands are still stuck between the two of you."

"Sorry, not if you want to eat a Spinning Needle in the chest."

"Great! How about you Cimons?"

"Adrian's tail is holding my head down!" Cimons muttered. "Although, I'm quite tempted to fire."

"Oh don't you dare!" Adrian hissed.

"I just…ugh." Cimons heard an odd growling noise from his stomach. "Uh guys, my stomach doesn't feel too good."

"Not now you moron!" Adrian cried in dismay.

"Uh-oh…" Katsu moaned.

And the purple dino farted.

"GGGGAAARRRRGGGHHHH! IT STINKS!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the ancient city, the spell was beginning to wear off on Sekata and Zoe. Vritramon realized this too and smirked to himself.

AncientGreymon in control of Sekata's Vritramon body had both puppets clutched in different hands. However, just as they were beginning to glow with their bluish aura, he dropped one down onto Zoe's XV-mon body.

In spite of the nauseating sensation, Sekata could suddenly feel himself falling.

The next instant, he could actually feel his aching body as he groaned and rolling into a kneeling position. But something didn't seem right. The coughing and panting didn't sound like his voice, plus the body felt quite different.

When Sekata opened his eyes, he found himself staring down at a pair of blue colored claws.

_Wait a minute! Blue? _

"What?" He gasped. Sekata started upon hearing 'his' voice…because it was a female's instead. "Oh no!"

"Erm, is that you Sekata?" Vritramon stumbled over. However, the look in the eyes was completely different this time."

"Zoe?" Sekata stared. "You…you're me!"

"I should say the same for you." Zoe muttered. "Somehow we ended up in the wrong bodies."

"I know. But how…"

_Damn you AncientGreymon! What do you have to gain from all this? Haven't you screwed around with me enough already?_

"Heck if I know." Zoe sighed, shaking the head of her Vritramon form.

Sekata almost felt as if it was yet another person using his voice and identity. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a series of laser bolts flew over their heads. The ancient city's defense systems were still running, and firing at practically anything that moved.

"We've got to find some better cover." Zoe suggested as they both ducked.

"I completely agree with that." Sekata acknowledged.

First, he reached over and picked up the two puppets which they'd just been freed from. Sekata shook both a little and made sure there was no response. He'd half expected that AncientGreymon was still in control of his Vritramon body and had left Zoe trapped as a puppet.

"What are you doing?" Zoe asked him.

"Nothing. Just making sure." Sekata replied. He opened a pouch section of the utility belt on Zoe's waist and slipped the two puppets inside. "Let's hurry then."

"Yeah…ugh!" Zoe stood up and begun to run, but tripped and landed on her face.

"Hey careful." Sekata rushed to her side. "My normal form is heavier than yours. It might take a while to get used to."

A laser bolt whizzed towards the pair and caught Sekata in the right side, sending the XV-mon sprawling over in pain.

"And I don't have armor like you normally do." Zoe extended a Vritramon claw and helped him to his feet.

"This is really going to take some getting used to." Sekata moaned as more laser bolts flew in their direction.

* * *

Zelia dashed through the ancient city, carefully avoiding both the rubble and the various defense systems. All the running she'd been doing was quickly wearing her down, and the injuries to her left knee had only made it worse.

She came to a low wall and leapt into the air, attempting to use her wings to guide her descent. However, she'd forgotten that her left wing had been twisted in an earlier battle, leaving it nearly useless. As a result, Zelia dropped clumsily out of the sky and hit the dirt hard.

"Gurgh…" Zelia gritted her teeth and got to her feet. "Just…where are you Aero?"

After several minutes of trying to pick up his scent trail, Zelia locked on to her target and moved like the wind, all the while feeling an odd sensation from the sphere that she'd accidentally swallowed. It led to a scene of an earlier fight, where the Aero V-dramon lay face-down on the ground.

"Aero…" Zelia nudged his body with her muzzle, then flipped him over.

The Aero V-dramon looked battered and bruised, but he was breathing…a good sign. Zelia suddenly felt a great amount of pain in her stomach and started shaking uncontrollably. As she roared in pain, a blue light shot out of her mouth and entered Aero's body.

Immediately, the blue dragon stirred and let off a loud scream. It took Aero several moments to re-orientate himself before he became aware of his surroundings….and of Zelia.

"Are you….back to normal too?" Zelia queried.

"I don't believe it! You ate me!" Aero literally screamed, sitting upright.

"That wasn't intentional."

"I know, but still that was disgusting." Aero muttered, shaking his head. "I'm trying not to remember what I saw in there. Still, it's a refreshing feeling not to be spherical. And I guess I have you to thank for that."

"I did what you always told me to….follow my heart."

"Haha, I knew you could." Aero patted her shoulder. "I…"

A sudden mechanical whirl alerted the pair to the danger nearby, in the form of a couple of laser cannons. Aero was touching his Digivice to make sure it was still there when Zelia leapt out in front of him.

The Raptordramon was suddenly engulfed in a blue vortex of Digicode and her form changed, becoming humanoid in shape. Clad in golden armor with red patterns and a reptilian-shaped helmet, Zelia's Ultimate Digimon form of Grademon took to the field.

In the blink of an eye, she'd dispatched the two laser cannons with a swift stroke. Zelia then somersaulted up onto a higher platform and took out two more weapons with an outwards sweep. In front of Aero's astonished eyes, she landed in front of him and sheathed her swords, giving the blue dragon a wide grin.

One final laser cannon suddenly arose from a pile of stones behind her and Aero opened his mouth to shout a warning.

"Cross Blade!" Zelia drew both her fencing swords in an 'X' motion, which sent out an energy wave that took the laser cannon apart.

"Nice form." Aero commented.

"I used it to help you before." Zelia replied. "But you were unconscious back then."

Before Aero could say anything else, he felt a slight gust of wind behind him and was suddenly rammed from behind. Majiramon the dragon Deva made another round and landed facing Zelia and the downed Aero V-Dramon.

"Damn, why is so hard for you to just die?" The dragon snarled.

"I'm difficult." Zelia growled. "Unless you want to do the dirty work yourself for once. Hargh!"

The dino knight charged and slashed at Majiramon, who backed away to evade the swipes and lashed out with his tail. The surprise blow caught Zelia beneath the chin and sent her spinning backwards.

"Actually, I think I should." Majiramon declared, putting his claws together and chanting.

The green, serpentine dragon shrouded himself in a green aura and began to grow. In a matter of seconds, Majiramon had enlarged himself more than twice fold. He now stood over 6 stories high, towering way above the pair. And because Zelia had taken out all the defenses in the immediate vicinity, there was nothing to interfere with his stomping on the smaller pair.

Zelia easily moved away and struck back, firing off energy waves from her blades. Majiramon had to defend his face with his huge claws. However, Zelia suddenly lurched over and clutched her side, as if in great pain.

"Zelia! Watch out!" Aero shouted.

Majiramon took Zelia down with a single swing of his tail, tossing the dino knight around like a rag doll. She hit a wall with an ear-splitting crunch and flopped down against the floor, unmoving.

"NO!" Aero roared. Spreading his wings, Aero attacked in a fit of rage, firing a stream of energy shots from his wings, his V-Wing Blade ability.

The huge dragon Deva blocked most of the shots, but swung his claws and delfected the last V-Wing Blade right into Aero. The blue dragon howled in pain and spun in mid-air, but managed to keep in flight.

That didn't help however, as Majiramon attacked him with a barrage of claws and tail slashes, knocking the hapless Aero V-dramon up and down before tossing him to the ground. Battered and bruised, Aero groaned and staggered to his feet.

"Is that…all….you've got?" Aero shouted.

WHAM! WHAM! BAM!

Majiramon pounded him again, knocking the blue dragon down hard.

"You're beaten. Give it up!" Majiramon taunted.

"I won't give up…." Aero panted. "I won't lose! I can't! For Zelia…"

Aeromaru eyed Zelia's motionless form, and then raised the bracelet-like Digivice strapped around his right wrist.

"Matrix Evolution!"

* * *

"Hey princess? You there?" Dynamo poked at the unresponsive Strikedramon body of Janet's.

"Not much use after you lost that puppet used to control her body." Junon remarked.

"You're saying that like it's my fault." Dynamo snapped, lifting up Janet's body in his arms.

"Well, isn't it?"

"What? I was busy fighting! You weren't doing anything, so you would obviously have been the one to watch my back!"

"Didn't they ever teach you that you have to watch all sides during combat?"

"Aw forget it!" Dynamo huffed. "No one ever wins an argument with you Junon."

"Then our course of action should be to find Metallix and regroup." Junon instructed. "As much as I dislike him, the wolf can be useful at times."

"Yeah, as cannon fodder." Dynamo muttered. "But he's probably still buried under all that rubble. Can't we just leave him? He can dig his own way out."

"Why? Need someone to challenge your record of digging?"

"Hey! I'd like to see you try it Miss Perfect!" Dynamo retorted.

In the midst of his argument with Junon, Dynamo never noticed Janet's body slowly stirring and moaning softly. Janet opened her eyes to find herself in Dynamo's arms…with the dark knight looking down at her.

"Grrrr…" Janet hissed.

"Hm? What was…" Dynamo gasped. "Hey! You…"

"You!" The Strikedramon growled, forcing her way out of Dynamo's grip.

"Hey princess, glad to see you're back to normal." Dynamo smiled cheerfully.

"You pervert!" Janet yelled, sending a full-forced kick between Dynamo's legs.

"OOOOWWWW! Not the groin!" Dynamo's eyes went wide.

"Oh you like that? How about this?" Janet whipped Dynamo's shin with her barbed tail, then sent off a second kick.

"Gargh! Argh! My groin…Again…oooooowwwww…"

BOMP! Dynamo hit the floor groaning.

"Humph!" Junon immediately sprung into action, throwing out her ribbons and tying Janet's hands and legs together.

"Uargh!" Janet choked as Junon threw another ribbon around her neck and pulled it tight.

The Strikedramon twisted and turned, pulling Junon off balance with a strong heave. Junon's grip loosened slightly, giving Janet enough space to bite through the ribbons with her fangs. That maneuver freed her claws, which she used to cut the remaining ribbons, sending Junon stumbling backwards.

"Hmm…not bad for someone who's been out of their own shoes for a while." Junon taunted, steadying her stance.

"I don't have time for you." Janet said softly. "I need to get to Steve. He could be…"

"Jan!" The much welcomed sight of a Paildramon and a Vritramon greeted Janet, taking up battle positions beside her.

"Sekata! Zoe! Good to see you guys back too." Janet looked up.

"Not entirely back, but pretty much." The red armored Vritramon replied.

"Look, you guys have to take care of this fight." Janet hurriedly told them. "I'll explain more later, but Steve was under the control of the Devas earlier, and I have to get to him quickly."

Janet's companions gave her confused glances as the Strikedramon sprinted off without another word.

"Well, hope you're ready for this Zoe." Sekata in Zoe's XV-mon body muttered.

"I'll make do with it." Zoe nodded, raising Sekata's D-Dragon.

"NO! Erm, I mean no, don't use that just yet." Sekata put an arm on her shoulder.

"How come?"

"Er…it…well…takes a lot of energy out of you." Sekata was a bit hesitant in his reply. "Even I can't handle it sometimes."

"All right." Zoe agreed. "We'll do this the hard way."

_Is it just me, or is Sekata acting rather strangely? _Zoe thought. _I mean, I feel weird too that we're in each other's bodies…but there's just that something else that doesn't seem quite right…_

* * *

"Steve! Steve Where are you?" Janet shouted.

Small stones crunched beneath her feet as the dull thumps of her footsteps rang out in her ears. Janet frantically glanced around, trying to figure out where to find Steve. She hadn't exactly left her friend on her own accord and getting back to him was proving to be quite a task.

"What am I kidding myself?" Janet stopped, panting, and checked the reading on the D-Dragon's screen.

Steve's reading was showing up from close-by, but that was provided that the Digivice was actually with him. Janet couldn't remember, but she had to take that chance and approached a large hole in the ground.

It seemed like the pit she remembered falling down into, only now that it was completely dark.

_Charging Zelia up probably shorted the power out as well. _Janet told herself as she leapt down.

It then occurred to her that she couldn't see anywhere to land and hit the ground hard. However, a stabbing pain ran through her foot as Janet howled and flicked her D-Dragon's light on.

A spike-like metal shard had pierced into her right foot, which was now covered with blood. Gritting her teeth, Janet ripped the shard out with a scream.

"Damn, gargh!" Janet was wearing a black, sleeveless vest in addition to her normal Strikedramon gear, and ripped some of the dark leather off to make a bandage. Red fluid stained the makeshift bandage as she pulled it tight.

It hurt like hell, but Janet pushed it aside.

"Steve! Answer me!" She yelled.

Something glittered in the light of her Digivice and Janet limped over to see. Steve's orange and gold D-Dragon was there….with Steve a couple of feet away and lying on his back.

"Steve!" Janet grabbed Steve's Digivice and ran to Steve's side.

She felt a sudden jolt and started as she touched Steve's body. The Flamedramon was convulsing and still charged with strong static electricity that shocked Janet every time she tried to touch him.

"Grrr!" Janet took a deep breath and grabbed on tight.

The electrical shocks stung badly, but something else happened too. Both of the pair's D-Dragons were glowing, a single image showing up on their screens. It was a shimmering blue orb with a couple of light blue and red rings within it…the X-antibody.

"This…Steve used this to help save me once." Janet recalled.

The sight flashed in her mind of herself, screaming in pain. Then, Steve had held the orb out to her. She also remembered the strong grip of his claw. He didn't let go then, and he wouldn't even now.

_After what I went through to get that thing for you, don't you dare die on me! _Steve's voice rang out in her mind.

The shimmering lights grew brighter, piercing the darkness like day. And Steve's body absorbed that glow too. With a roar of agony, he suddenly sprang up, throwing Janet off him.

As she stared in awe, the Flamedramon began to change.

His size and body mass increased by at least twice fold, and became clad in a familiar set of golden and silver armor. It was undoubtedly Wargreymon's, with several modifications.

The shield plates on his back were smaller and the armor in general seemed to have a 'rougher' look to it. There were blue, glowing stones embedded in various parts of his body, including his horn, the chestplate and the upper sections of his claws.

It was the X-antibody version: Wargreymon X.

* * *

Now completely in his new form, Steve roared and slashed his claws about wildly. In his fit of madness, he knocked Janet aside, throwing her into a wall and leaving the impression on her body in it.

"Ugh…Steve…what are you doing? It's me! Jan!" She staggered to her feet. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Steve simply roared again and attacked, swinging his gleaming claws at her. Janet was forced to back away and dodge, the killer weapons missing her by inches. The new Wargreymon grew exhausted and dropped to his knees.

"Steve…" Janet approached.

All of a sudden, Steve slashed at her. Janet let off a scream and stumbled on her bad foot, landing hard on her back. Placing a palm to her neck, Janet felt a bit of blood and a small scar there. A little more and she would've had her head separated from her shoulders.

There wasn't much time to think as Steve attempted to stomp her, forcing Janet to roll away.

"I'm not going to fight you Steve!" Janet insisted. "They've been forcing you to go against us for so long! I don't want to add to that suffering!"

Janet realized that she'd lost track of Steve in the darkness and brought her D-Dragon's torch up to look for him. That was when he pounced on her from behind, pinning her face-first to the ground and raising his claw to strike.

"NNOO!" Janet struggled frantically, unable to free herself.

CLANG! That was the last sound Janet expected to hear.

However, it wasn't Steve stabbing his claw down, but instead another figure slapping Steve's clawed hand off target. There was a blur of black as the armored Digimon knocked the berserked Wargreymon into the wall.

There came a mechanical humming and the lights flicked on, revealing her rescuer to be Siavon the BlackWargreymon.

"I seem to have a penchant for stumbling into your most insane matters." The old warrior growled.

"Siavon!" Janet gasped. "How'd you…"

With an enraged howl, Steve lashed back at his newfound foe. Sparks flew as their claws clashed in a series of spirited blows. Siavon however, was at a slight disadvantage because he only had one claw weapon against Steve's two.

"All these energy charges must be affecting Steve." Siavon panted. "He's just hurt, confused…and attacking in rage! RARGH!"

Siavon's only claw weapon was knocked off his hand during Steve's latest barrage, forcing Siavon to leap away. Steve rushed at him and Siavon dropped into a sliding kick, taking Steve off his feet.

With his opponent down for a moment, Siavon had enough time to draw the second weapon he possessed, a huge samurai sword that had been in a sheath across his back.

As Steve attacked, Siavon swung the blade and knocked both of Steve's hands to the side. He then spun around and smacked Steve's helmet with the flat side of his blade. The Wargreymon X seemed even more infuriated then hurt and charged once more.

"Gurgh!" Siavon grunted as his blade clashed with Steve's claws, the pair struggling against each other's strength.

"Can we snap him out of it?" Janet asked desperately.

"If we get him to calm down, but I'll need your help to take him down first!" Siavon called back. "He's too much for me in this form!"

"But I can't!" Janet cried. "I can't fight Steve! Not after all he's been through! What if he never recovers from all of this?"

"You have to! And you will if you truly care about him!" Siavon turned his head towards her.

"I…I…just…"

Steve suddenly twisted his claws and kicked Siavon repeatedly in the chest. The BlackWargreymon jerked back and lost hold of his weapon, the blade clattering noisily against the ground. Stunned and defenseless at close range, Siavon received a hard blow to his chest, throwing him roughly against the corner of the room.

The shaking caused a heavy pillar to fall from the ceiling, slamming onto Siavon's chest and pinning him down. The old warrior heaved as hard as he could, but didn't have the strength to push the pillar off.

And Steve was approaching with both of his dragon claws raised.

"Steve! No!" Janet shouted, to no avail.

_I can't let this go on! _Janet thought. _I can't get through to Steve by voice alone, and if I don't do anything, then Siavon… _

"RARRGHH! Garrhh! Arrrgghh!" Siavon struggled wildly, glancing up at the approaching Steve.

_I can't just watch Even if it means Steve…no, Steve would want me to do this. Back then, everyone fought against me in Megidramon form, even though they knew there were hurting me. _Janet clenched her fists. _I am a dragon warrior! And I have act like one! _

"Hey! Over here!" Janet roared, dashing and switching to her Ultimate level Cyberdramon form at the same time. "Erase Claw!"

BOOM! The blue energy burst exploded against Steve's back, causing the frenzied dragon to pause and turn around.

Janet's stride broke into a roll, during which she retrieved Siavon's samurai sword and sprang back to her feet, continuing her charge without any hesitation. As she took those steps, Janet felt a new power growing within herself.

The X-antibody, the blade and her body were all reacting…and transforming.

"Matrix Evolution!"

Janet felt her form changing, and opened her eyes against the glow to see the results. To describe it simply, it was like BlackWargreymon clad in a set of black samurai armor.

The body shape and armor structure were all similar to the Wargreymon series, including the gray colored helmet with silver horns. However, there were hints of an oriental Japanese design, with the samurai style shoulder pads and the specially decorated chestplate.

In her claws now were not one, but two sleek, curved and deadly blades. Janet could feel the raw power behind this X-antibody dragon warrior, and called out the name of her new Mega form.

"Gaioumon!"


	40. Forever to Hold

_Digimon_ _/ Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Forever to Hold**

By nightdragon0

"Hargh!" Charged up in his AlForce V-Dramon form, Aero extended the energy sword at his right hand.

Majiramon hardly seemed impressed and brought his claws down. Aero dodged between his hands and slashed his laser weapon, sending an energy wave into his opponent's face.

The dragon Deva hissed furiously and shook the attack off. Aero attempted to move in further, but was met by a strong wind-elemental breath attack from his foe. Even the dragon knight couldn't keep his wings steady, crashed into the ground and left a large crater at his point of impact.

As Aero staggered to his feet, Majiramon began chanting again. A bright flash of light from above prompted Aero to look towards the night sky…just in time to see dozens of white energy beams raining down upon him.

There was no time for him to do anything but activate his left hand's energy shield and brace for the shockwaves to come. And the beams came down hard, immediately forcing Aero to his knees as he struggled to keep his shield up. Flying rock fragments and debris were also thrown into his face and body from all the explosions around, destabilizing him even more.

_Guugghhh_…_I'm still…too exhausted….can't keep this up…much…longer…_

A blur of gold suddenly raced past him, winding in between the storm of energy beams. In a mixture of shock and amazement, Aero realized that Zelia had gotten up and was attacking Majiramon.

Although she was taking multiple hits, Zelia somersaulted and let loose with a couple of slashes to the gigantic dragon Deva. Majiramon howled in pain and staggered out of his attack sequence.

"Zelia!" Aero shouted after his fellow knight, who was busy leaping around and slashing at the dragon's head.

Majiramon caught Zelia with a lucky claw swipe, knocking her to the ground and stomping down with his right foot. Zelia was left pinned with her back downwards as the huge dragon pushed harder. By this time, Aero was on the move and stabbed his Alforce Saber into Majiramon's leg.

The Deva kicked Aero away with the affected foot. It gave Zelia time to crawl away, but also sent Aero face-first into the dirt. Battle instinct saved the blue dragon as he rolled to the side, just in time to avoid being smashed by Majiramon's tail.

Unbeknown to the combatants, Sorceress Evza was watching intently from the shadows of a run-down building. Utilizing her magical powers to escape from the generator room had drained her both physically and mentally. Evza needed to rest and recover, and had stumbled upon the battle by chance.

"Grade Slash!" Zelia's golden knight form became a blur of motion as she dashed about, stabbing essential points like Majiramon's shoulders and knees.

"My Zelia, how you've grown." Evza whispered. "I never thought you would be able to progress this far."

With their opponent distracted, Aero flew up and gathered what energy he had remaining. The V section on his armor's breastplate glowed with a golden radiance as Aero threw his arms wide open.

"Shinning V Force!" At his command, a brilliant V-shaped beam shot out from his chest, growing large and brighter as it approached Majiramon.

Zelia saw the attack coming and steered clear, but Majiramon took the blast head on. The Deva let off a roar of agony as the beam pierced straight through his chest. However, Majiramon still managed to shoot off two huge bursts from his jaws as he collapsed.

Aero was too exhausted to move and closed his eyes as his impending doom approached.

* * *

CLANG! Swords met claws as Janet braced herself against Steve's attack.

_We look so similar now. _Janet thought. _It's strange too…Steve's been apart from us for all this time, and now I feel closer to him than ever. _

Steve pushed his claws upwards, knocking Janet's hands away and off balancing her. However, she managed to turn her fall into a backwards flip. The Wargreymon's attack slashed into the empty space Janet had once been at.

It was now Steve's turn to stumble and Janet delivered a hard kick to his chest. She followed that up with a second, then a third kick. Janet was startled when Steve managed to catch hold of her leg, and twisted.

She spun into the air, dropping her swords as she kicked off a wall and somersaulted over Steve's head. Janet received a fist to her chin, then a knee butt to her side. The Gaioumon dropped to her knees, panting, and narrowly evaded Steve's next claw swipe by ducking low to the ground.

Snarling, Janet jumped up and shoved an elbow into Steve's face. Her opponent stumbled, allowing Janet to grab his shoulder and ram his head with her own. The amount of damage it caused to Steve's armored head however, was questionable.

Siavon had been struggling with the pillar pinning him down all this time with little success. Gritting his fangs, the old dragon gathered up his strength for his Gaia Force ability. He didn't channel it at full blast, but the energy burst was enough to shatter the stone pillar.

It was still taking the force of his own attack at close range, and Siavon clamped his jaws shut as the pain coursed through his body. Last thing he needed was for the kids to hear him screaming.

Staggering to his feet, Siavon saw Janet being hurled across the room. She landed with a loud crash amongst the rubble in the corner. Siavon raced across the room and tackled Steve, grasping his hands around Steve's waist and flying up through the hole in the ceiling.

"At least there's more room out here." Siavon muttered.

Janet retrieved her swords and made her way back to the surface level as well. Siavon had just rammed Steve into the wall of a building and was attempting to subdue him when the younger dragon kicked hard, sending Siavon spinning to the ground.

"You all right?" Janet asked, kneeling by his side.

"I'm fine." Siavon spat furiously.

Steve too dropped down onto the ground and landed shakily on his feet. Janet and Siavon watched intently as Steve stumbled around, seemingly about to collapse. However at the last moment, Steve held his claws up and begun gathering a blue glow between them. There was an almost watery glow and effect to the huge ball of energy he was holding up.

"Damn it!" Siavon charged up his own attack, his reddish energy glowing in a similar form.

"This is for the best Steve." Janet crossed her blades as they started to glow with an orange pulse. "I have to do this…for you."

The three dragons stared at each other for only a moment longer before releasing their respective attacks.

"Poseidon Force!"

"Gaia Force!"

"Gaia Reactor!"

The three huge energy balls collided, and the resulting explosion both deafened and blinded everyone around.

* * *

With a yell, Junon ducked between the slashes of Sekata and Zoe, whipping the pair with her ribbon weapons. The two dropped backwards onto the ground and Junon pounced towards Zoe.

Immediately, the Vritramon rolled away, leaving Junon to miss by inches. Sekata was quickly on his feet, and barged Junon's back with his shoulder, sending the pink knight flying.

"Hargh!" Junon broke into a roll and flipped onto her feet.

"Desperado Blaster!" Sekata sprayed Junon with a volley of energy bolts from the blasters at his sides.

Zoe touched her waist to find her own blasters not there, then remembered that she was in a different body now. She locked her current arm-mounted weapons into position and fired.

"Corona Blaster!"

In a blur of motion, Junon dodged the shots left and right. She then sprang into the two, lashing out with her ribbons. Zoe took a hit to the stomach and lurched over in pain, but Sekata managed to swing and catch Junon with a reverse kick.

With a strangled cry, Junon hit the floor, clutching her side.

"Man, you're good no matter what form you're in." Zoe muttered.

"Not really…" Sekata admitted. "I just have a little more fighting experience."

A wolf's howl suddenly sounded as Metallix burst out from one of the stones piles, stretching and shaking stone fragments off himself.

"Rargh! I'm tired of things that keep coming down on my head!" The cybernetic wolf complained.

"I see you're finally awake." Junon tapped his side.

"Yeah, and ready for a grand howl!"

"Then you can help me out here."

"Oh them?" Metallix turned towards Sekata and Zoe, raising his weapons. "Garuru Burst!"

Multiple sections on the wolf's body opening, revealing missiles that launched and headed straight for the pair. Zoe leapt out in front and aimed her arm-blasters before returning fire. Her shimmering energy bolts contacted every one of Metallix's missiles, causing them to detonate harmlessly in mid-flight.

"What?" The Metal Garurumon X stared.

"And you say I'm good?" Sekata gasped.

"Well…that was using a little of my powers too." Zoe grinned, scratching her head.

On the opposite side of the courtyard, Dynamo had managed to get to his feet and shakily stumbled over to join the other members of the Royal Knights.

"Damn…Jan really knows how to hit where it hurts." The dark knight moaned.

"The girl isn't interested in you in case you haven't gotten her point yet." Junon told him. "Trust me on this one."

"And what would you know?" Dynamo snapped. "There's just….this thing between us."

"And that requires you to get hurt like an idiot?"

"Yes…argh…I mean no! Gargh!" Dynamo clutched his head. "Quit picking on me just because you think you're smarter!"

"This looks bad." Sekata whispered. "We're now outnumbered."

"We might need our higher forms to take them." Zoe suggested.

"Well…no, Zoe, let me use Imperialdramon." Sekata insisted.

"But…"

"You hang on and back me up for now." Sekata waved a claw over her jaws. "Please, trust me here!"

"All right." Zoe nodded. "Just don't get overconfident."

"I won't." The Paildramon nodded, raising the D-Dragon on his wrist. "Matrix Evolution!"

* * *

However, what Aero heard instead was Zelia's scream, and snapped his eyes open to find Zelia hovering in front of him. She'd blocked the attack with her own body. The tattered remains of her cape were flapping amongst her golden armor, which was now battered and charred.

"Zelia! You…" Aero couldn't find his voice as he stared in horror. The AlForce V-Dramon landed on his feet and caught Zelia in his arms as the Grademon fell.

"This is…one of the things I owe you." Zelia managed a grin from beneath her reptilian helmet.

"Hang on! Please!" Aero begged, not noticing that Majiramon's body was still moving.

"Why should it matter so much?" Zelia spoke, slowly shifting back into Raptordramon form. "I'm different from you and the others…"

"It doesn't matter to me!" Aero's grip tightened. "What matters is that you're someone special to me! Someone I care about!"

"Aero…I truly thank you for your concern. But there are things…many things you don't know about me."

"I've always had my suspicions." Aero agreed. "But now I know for certain…"

"Indeed, what you believe is true. She is not a true living Digimon in a sense." A somber female voice cut in.

Aero brought his head up to see Evza standing close-by, amongst the rubble. Although he didn't have the energy to draw his sword, Aero sensed that the Sorceress was not looking for a fight.

"Mistress…" Zelia muttered.

"You…you're the one who…" Aero started.

"Yes, I was the one who created Zelia in a matter of speaking." Evza explained. "Or more specifically, brought her back from the dead."

"So…that's it…" Zelia nodded.

"Having to keep her body cool, and all those instruments in her circuitry…" Aero added in.

"You were the first of my experiments, delving deep into both the fields of science and sorcery. However, there were flaws, in particular with your memories and your ability to express emotions." Evza closed her eyes. "Only the most basic of those could be imparted onto you back then. I never dreamed that you would be able to progress this far."

"But why?" Aero demanded. "How can you have such disregard for life that you could do this to her?"

"It's a feeling you will never understand." Evza's eyes seemed glow ablaze as she spoke. "When you are a mother who'd just lost her entire family…all except for one."

"Wha…what?" Aero stuttered.

"Yes…a mother who could not bear to let go of her daughter." The sorceress continued. "One who once hoped against hope that she would be able to speak to her daughter again. One who turned to the path of dark arts just for that chance."

"And you have, for now I truly speak with you again." Zelia fought against exhaustion to look Evza in the eye. "Mother…"

"I believed for so long that I'd lost your father and brother as well…until I saw him here." Evza reached into her robes and pulled out a circular, golden locket. "But alas, I have traveled too far down this dark path. There is no turning back for me now."

"Mother…"

"Forgive me, my dear Zelia." Evza dropped the locket on the ground. "I just…desired this chance to bid you farewell."

"And so do I." Zelia replied.

A sudden moaned interrupted the reunion as Majiramon raised his head, opening his jaws to fire.

"Phantom Pain!" Evza threw open her arms and sent off a dark cloud of energy.

Majiramon choked as the cloud surrounded his face and entered his open mouth. An internal explosion from the energies built up there blew his head into bloody chunks of flesh and bone, leaving the headless dragon body to sink to the ground.

* * *

"Ugh…" Siavon opened his eyes and pulled himself into a sitting position. His ears were still ringing and his head hurt like hell, but he was alive at least.

Blinking to clear his vision, Siavon glanced around at the surroundings, trying to get his bearings.

The combined explosion had certainly made a big mess of things, with buildings within a large radius reduced to rubble. He noticed some movement to the left side and discovered Janet, who'd returned to her normal Strikedramon form.

"How are you feeling?" Siavon queried.

"I'm fine." Janet nodded as she lay down. "Just let me rest…for a while…"

"Understood."

"Where's Steve? Have you seen him?"

"Hmm…" Leaving Janet, Siavon stood up and paced around the area, keeping an eye out for any signs of movement.

A soft moaning alerted the black armored dragon and he started digging with his hands. When the moan turned into a snarl, Siavon quickly jumped away. What he'd found hadn't been exactly what he had been looking for.

"Grr…" Mihiramon the tiger Deva got shakily to his feet.

"Crap, it's that tiger again!" Janet cursed. "Siavon, watch out for him! He's one of the Devas!"

"Damn, you're back to normal already?" Mihiramon muttered, glancing from Janet to Siavon.

"I can take him." Siavon insisted. "Come on! Give me your best shot!"

"All right! You asked for it!" Mihiramon pounced.

Siavon stepped to the side, leaving the tiger to crash into the ground. Undaunted, Mihiramon charged again and Siavon repeated the stunt. This time, Mihiramon managed to keep his balance, but Siavon simply delivered a spin kick that threw the tiger aside.

Mihiramon sprang up and swung his tail, which flashed and turned into a Nunchuck-style weapon. Siavon started dodging left and right, slowly being forced to back away. The tiger felt that he'd gained the advantage and continued to attack, pushing Siavon towards the wall of a building.

Once Siavon had his back to the wall, Mihiramon swung his tail weapon hard. That was the moment Siavon had been waiting for, and jumped up to avoid the blow. Mihiramon's tail smashed into the wall, missing Siavon completely.

Since Siavon was already in the air, he pushed off the wall and flipped forward, stomping on Mihiramon in the landing process.

Dusting his claws off, Siavon smirked with satisfaction. Behind him, loud creaking and cracking sounds came up as the wall began to fall to pieces. All of a sudden, Siavon's smile faded as he noticed another figure close to the building.

"Gargh…" A Flamedramon was groaning, balancing unsteadily on all fours.

"NO! Steve! Watch out!" Siavon yelled.

He barely even thought before sprinting across the path and throwing himself beneath the damaged wall, protecting Steve's body with his own. Seconds later, the wall came down, stirring up a huge cloud of dust.

Mihiramon coughed and blinked as the dust cleared. Siavon was partially trapping under the rubble, still crouched protectively over Steve.

* * *

With a thunderous roar and a blinding flash of light, Sekata had assumed the larger and more draconic form of Imperialdramon (Dragon Mode). He stamped the ground and hissed, causing the enemy trio to back away from the quadruped dragon.

_This is Zoe's form. _Sekata reminded himself. _I'm still in her body. But she can at least use Imperialdramon without restrictions…unlike me…_

"Being bigger don't change nothing!" Metallix snarled, opening the hidden missile section on his chest. "Garuru Tomahawk!"

"Argent Fear!" Junon fired a burst from her shield, the Pile Bunker.

"Judecca Prison!" Dynamo did likewise with an energy shot from his shield.

The three attacks combined into a brilliant laser that Sekata took in the shoulder, instinctively turning his head to the side. The dragon was pushed back several feet, his claws digging into the ground and leaving tracks in their wake.

With a mighty roar, Sekata shoved against the laser, throwing it off and dispersing it, much to the astonishment of the enemy party.

"It doesn't change anything." Sekata agreed. "But it certainly helps! Positron Laser!"

The two knights and the wolf were forced to scatter as Sekata blew a large crater in the scenery. Metallix bounded to the side and sprayed Sekata's rear right thigh with a freezing breath. The dragon hissed furiously and whipped the cyber wolf off with his tail. However, the frostbite left his leg muscles stinging.

"Hey, remember how it's always the knight who slays the dragon?" Dynamo jumped out, brandishing his lance at Sekata. "Demon's Disaster!"

The dark knight thrust forward with a fury of lance attacks. Sekata ignored the pain in his leg and jumped away, allowing him to avoid most of the strikes.

"That's just in the fairy tales." Sekata responded with a growl.

He slammed a paw down and unfortunately missed Dynamo, who skipped out of the way and dashed around Sekata's front claw. Dynamo lashed out with a lance thrust that narrowly missed Sekata's face as he bent his neck to the side. Sekata quickly swung his free claw and knocked Dynamo back.

Junon had been preparing to attack as well, but was cut off by Zoe. Still in Sekata's Vritramon body, she grabbed Junon from the rear in a chokehold. The two struggled for a while before Junon managed to throw Zoe forward.

The armored dragon went into a 180 degrees spin and landed on her hands, flipping forward onto her feet. However, the maneuver left her rear exposed and Zoe received a kick in the back for it. Zoe growled and swung her tail, which Junon easily ducked under.

The pink knight then threw a punch that Zoe scrambled to block. She successfully knocked Junon's hand away and returned the attack, her fist catching Junon at the chin. Zoe took advantage of the knight's resulting stumble and kicked her backwards.

Junon quickly steadied herself and prepared her ribbon weapons. Zoe too remembered Sekata's huge dragon sword and pulled it out, although its weight felt unfamiliar in her claws. Staring each other in the eye, the two charged like blurs of light and clashed, sparks flying as their weapons contacted.

The pair then landed on opposite sides of the courtyard with their back to each other. Almost immediately, Zoe dropped to her knees, clutching her side. Junon remained standing for much longer. Then, sparks suddenly erupted from her side and Junon went down with a scream.

"Ha…gottcha…" Zoe grinned, panting.

"Damn…it…" Junon cursed.

"Come on, we can take them!" Sekata called, moving into position to stand beside Zoe.

"Ugh…well I'll show you!" Dynamo reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a grenade.

"Watch out!" Zoe yelled, diving to the side.

Sekata wasn't as quick to move and the explosive device detonated at his feet. The grenade released a wave of purple energy that crackled around Sekata's body, causing the dragon to howl in pain.

"Rargh! Gargh! What's…going….on?" Sekata cried.

The pain soon subsided…but so did all the feelings in his body. Sekata struggled and realized that he couldn't speak or move a muscle as the purple energy continued to course throughout his body.

"What the heck was that?" Metallix asked.

"Those energy waves interfere with mechanical systems." Dynamo explained. "Any of any type too, including those of partially cybernetic Digimon like Imperialdramon."

"Sekata!" Zoe called.

The larger dragon managed several grunts and groans, but couldn't get anything else out. Even though his eyes were simply glowing red lights with no visible pupils, Zoe could sense the genuine fear from her friend. She had to do something to help him…but what?

* * *

By the time Aero had taken in all of this and blinked, Evza had once again disappeared into the shadows.

"Don't cry for me, my friend." Zelia reached up and wiped the side of Aero's face. "Now I know…the truth at least."

The armored knight pulled his helmet off and tossed it aside, wiping his eyes. The locket was lying, half open, on the floor nearby and Zelia pulled it with her other claw, glancing intently at a photograph fixed within it.

"Zelia…I…" Aero simply couldn't find the words.

"You don't have to speak for me to know what you want to say." Zelia stroked his face again. "I know it in my heart. Even though I had to die and come back to life…it was worth it…just to meet you."

"I've…never felt this way before…" Aero sniffed. "Not since…Alicia…"

"I'm sorry for reviving that pain within you." Zelia's voice was growing softer. "I've already died once…can't be that bad all together. But perhaps things happen for a reason, as you put it once. Here, please take this."

Zelia touched her chest and a blue energy sphere begun to form within her claw. Aero stared at the blue and red rings within the sphere and realized that this was a copy of the X-antibody. Zelia's forms had been enhanced with its energy all along.

The AlForce V-Dramon clasped her claw in his own, feeling the soft glow of the X-antibody flowing into his Digivice and his body.

"I am…glad to have met you too." Aero told her. "No matter how the times separated us…I…I truly enjoyed those days with you."

"Life is too precious, yet fragile…but still, it becomes a joy when we make the most of what we have. Even if it was for a while…I felt like I truly….lived again." Zelia coughed. "Promise me, Aero…"

"Any thing." The dragon knight squeezed her claw with both hands.

"Live on…in this world…for me…" Zelia's head dropped back, and fell limply into Aero's arms.

"Zelia?" Aero whispered, shaking the raptor's body. "Zelia? No, please Zelia! Zelia! No! NO! ZZZZZEEEEEELLLLIIIIIAAAAA!"

The dragon warrior's anguished cry rang far out into the night, echoing through the remains of the ancient city.

Zelia's locket slipped from her claw and landed face up, opening itself in the mud. Contained within was a Digital Photograph with four figures in it. There was Evza, who was a Lilithmon, and by her sides were a V-dramon, a Champion level blue dragon, and a velociraptor who was recognizable as a Raptordramon without the wings and cybernetic enhancements.

And the last figure, standing a little off to the side, was a BlackWargreymon.

* * *

"Oh no…ugh…" Janet tried to stand, but she was too far away and her aching body wouldn't allow it.

"Hey old man." Steve panted. "What was that…for?"

"Shut up." Siavon replied. "I'll take it that you're all right then?"

"Thanks to you."

"Well, I'm glad."

"Humph, you're such a fool." Mihiramon taunted, approaching slowly. "Why risk your warrior's pride to save the kid? Now I've got you just where I want you…"

"Grrr…" Siavon glanced down and closed his eyes.

Then, a barely noticeable grin came across his face.

"Now's your chance then." Siavon spoke. "Finish me off. Kill me and the clan will be all yours."

"Huh? Wha?" Mihiramon stared, scratching his head in bewilderment.

"Hurry up! Or are you afraid?"

"I…ar…." The tiger glanced around, as if expecting someone to start giving out orders.

"Then allow me to ask you something first." The BlackWargreymon turned away. "Do you know what you will lose if you defeat me? I will tell you that it is something truly precious."

"What…what is it?"

"Even if you have all the power in the world, it will not matter. True strength will never come from that. And then, you will continue only to deceive yourself."

"True strength?" Mihiramon asked. "Is that it? Then where…where does true strength come from?"

"Do you really want to know?" Siavon turned his head to face the tiger. "I will tell you. True strength….true strength…is love."

"Love? Wha…?" Mihiramon stood dumbfounded for a while, then lowered his tail and dropped to his knees whilst clutching his head. "Oh no! How could I not have realized!"

Tears were streaming from the tiger's eyes as he continued.

"You've truly…opened my heart! I'm…I'm the one who's lost! I'm…I'm such a useless Digimon! WWWWAAAHHH!"

"Even you may be able to find true strength one day. Keep looking, long and hard enough within yourself." Siavon wiggled himself out of the rubble, carrying Steve in his arms.

The BlackWargreymon turned and gave Mihiramon one final glance before walking away.

"Indeed…it is…true love." Siavon finished, deliberately speaking loudly enough for Mihiramon to hear.

The tiger Deva lay there and continued sobbing as Siavon approached Janet's position, where the Strikedramon had managed to get to her feet.

"Ugh…that was a nice one old man." Steve muttered.

"Yeah, seriously." Janet agreed.

"Humph." Siavon huffed.

"That is, a nice, perfect repetition of every line from the last scene from the movie, The Legend of Ou Ryuumon." Steve continued.

"Grugh!" Siavon choked as his eyes went wide. A large sweatdrop also appeared at the side of his head.

"That movie?" Janet cut in. "It was more like a soap opera really. Hey, I didn't know you were into this kind of thing Siavon."

The sweatdrop at Siavon's head grew bigger.

"Yeah, and I thought you really hated mushiness old man." Steve smirked.

"Grrr…shut up." Siavon dropped Steve into Janet's arms. "And let's just get out of here."

"Hey old man." Steve called. "I've got the second part back at base. Want me to lend you a copy later?"

"I am going to take a deep breath, and pretend I never heard any of this." Siavon growled as he walked ahead.

"Siavon!"

"Relax…and breathe…" Siavon clenched his fists. "Breathe in…and out. Breath in…and out…"

* * *

"Makuramon, Sir?" Antiramon fumbled with her radio to no avail. She was not receiving a signal from the other end.

Sighing, the female Deva turned to survey her situation. She was in an underground passageway, having fled there when the generator had blown up earlier. Evza had long since disappeared from sight, leaving her alone in the darkness, lit only the light of her torch.

With no way to receive any more orders, Antiramon continued down the corridor. Up ahead, she sensed voices and slowly dimmed her light to avoid detection. Peering around the corner, she gasped at the spectacle before her.

"Lucifer…" Antiramon whispered. "Is he opening the seal already?"

Arkadimon Ultimate stood in the hallways beyond, almost motionless in the dim lighting. However, what he was standing in was a circle of runes engraved into the ground. Those runes were glowing with a purplish light as Arkadimon slowly moved its hands about. Lucifer stood behind the huge demon, pointing and giving directions to the creature.

"Those chants…" Antiramon mimicked the motions with her hand. "Gate…Open…Darkness? So, this is the portal to the CHAOS…"

The rabbit Deva was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Lucifer had suddenly vanished from the scene. That was, until he sprang out from the shadows and grabbed her in a chokehold from behind, holding his sword to her throat.

"I'm quite impressed that you managed to follow me all this way." The fallen angel spoke. "Hmm…I sense that you bear the powers of a priestess, do you not?"

"Urgh…" Antiramon said nothing, but choked as Lucifer tightened his grip.

"Then perhaps you can help me with completing this ritual." Lucifer grinned. "And I strongly suggest that you agree to my terms…"

* * *

Zoe's mind raced desperately as the enemy trio approached. Sekata was basically a sitting duck for them now.

_I can take them if I have to. _Zoe told herself, tightening her grip on the Ryuukonken sword. _But why am I shaking? I'm not that frightened…am I? _

She then looked down and realized the reason behind it was that the sword was trembling in her hands. Curious, Zoe closed her eyes and focused her thoughts towards it. There was definitely some strange power, and a strong one, dwelling within.

Suddenly, she heard a roar in her mind's eye and 'saw' an armored, four-legged dragon rushing towards her. Zoe couldn't catch much, but she did note the Greymon-style helmet and that his body was shrouded with flames.

Gasping, she forced her eyes open and realized that she was now holding the sword outwards in a horizontal position, with one hand on the hilt and the other palm pressed flat against the blade. As she watched, flames begun to glow from within until they covered the blade completely.

Zoe panicked slightly and almost lost her grip when the flames ran over her claws. However, her current Vritramon body was mostly unaffected by them. Instead, she felt a strong energy growing.

Changing her grip so that both claws were on the hilt now, Zoe raised the weapon as the flames formed into an orange draconic head. She then pointed the sword towards Sekata and brought it down. As the blade moved, so did the flames, which formed into a huge column led by the dragon's head.

Like a serpentine Eastern-style dragon, the flames flew and coiled around Sekata's body, turning blue as they did. Startled, the Royal Knights all stopped and shielded their faces from the blinding light.

The blue energy swirled about, 'snapping' off the purple bonds like chains. Sekata roared and shook the last of the paralyzing feelings off, replacing those with a new surge of power running through his veins.

"Imperialdramon, Mode Change! Fighter Form!"

The dragon mode of Imperialdramon morphed slightly, moving to stand upright on two legs. The front paws shifted to become wrist-guards, revealing five-fingered claws beneath. The back mounted cannon moved to his right wrist instead and the dragon's head shifted down onto the chest, revealing an armored humanoid face with a crown-like headgear. Others features, including the tail, the armor color and the red, leathery wings, remained as they were before.

"Harh!" Sekata positioned himself with the cannon supported by both wrists and fired. "Positron Laser!"

BOOM! BOOM! Huge clouds of dust were thrown up as the Royal Knights dodged the laser shots.

"You're all right!" Zoe cried happily, putting a hand on his shoulder. The Imperialdramon seemed to have shrunk a little in this mode, but he was at least a head or so taller than Vritramon.

"Thanks to you." Sekata returned the smile.

"You should thank this thing really." Zoe held the sword up.

"Hmmm…" Sekata frowned inwardly. Unless Zoe had discovered some hidden power that he hadn't, it probably meant that AncientGreymon was involved. As much as he hated to admit it, the ancient dragon had pretty much saved his butt again.

"Hey, we're not through with you yet!" Junon shouted.

Dynamo and Metallix were beside her, readying their respective weapons. Sekata nodded to Zoe as they too took up battle stances.

"Bring it on then!" Sekata growled.

This time, the stare down was abruptly interrupted by an odd rumbling.

"You feel that?" Metallix whispered.

"Yeah, the ground's shaking." Dynamo agreed.

"There's one more thing too." Junon added in. "All the automated weapons that were firing at us earlier are gone now. The city's systems must've shut down."

"This can't be good…" Zoe muttered as Sekata and herself took several steps back.

Huge cracks began appearing in the ground before they gave way to a huge circular hole. Immediately, dark black energy poured out it as a claw clamped onto the edge with a metallic clang.

"Is that…" Sekata stared. "No…"

The creature beneath pulled itself onto the surface, revealing itself as a muscular, demonic figure. Its body was mostly light gray with purple claws on the right hand and tentacles on the left. It sprouted two pairs of bat-like wings and a batch of purple hair on its head. However, it was the featureless face and the mouth-like opening on its chest that gave it away.

Arkadimon, in its Mega form.

* * *

"This is it! This is what I've been searching for!" Lucifer declared.

Arkadimon had apparently gone out of control after the ritual and had blasted its way to the surface, possibly in search of prey. But the demon had served its purpose and the portal was open. He didn't have the time to worry about anything else for now.

Antiramon watched from a corner of the room as she struggled to free her hands. She had been forced to help Lucifer with the final incantations and had been chained to a nearby pillar thereafter.

"If only I had more time to study these fascinating phenomena." Lucifer said softly.

From what Antiramon could see, the circle of runes had changed into a black void, which occasionally spewed out dark streams of energy. Lucifer was standing on front of the portal and waited until one of those energy streams poured out. The fallen angel quickly caught it in his hand and held it towards the portal.

The raw energy in his hand solidified and formed into a large crystal.

"A fragment of the CHAOS itself." Lucifer grinned.

"But what would that help to do?" Antiramon questioned.

"To lead me to my quarry of course. Beyond this portal lies a great void of emptiness, and somewhere within awaits CHAOS in its dominant state. This crystal, formed from the energies of CHAOS, will guide me through the void…."

A sudden shaking caused Lucifer to stumble and accidentally slam the crystal against the wall, breaking off several shards from it. Antiramon noted with interest that one landed right by her foot, but continued talking.

"Then do you seek to harness the energies of CHAOS for yourself? From what I've heard, many have tried and some have succeeded. However those that did were driven completely insane by its dark energies."

"Indeed, it is the lessons of the past that allow us to plot the future." Lucifer straightened up and adjusted his coat. "My plans for the CHAOS differ from that of my ancestors. I intend to keep my mind intact and leave the void."

"The CHAOS is said to be a collection of all the dark energies in the void, plus the energies of those who have fallen to it." Antiramon recalled. "It cannot be controlled by mortal means. Instead, it will become the entity that controls us."

"You Devas seem to know this, and yet you still intended to steal it from me." Lucifer looked back.

"My leader does not understand this entirely."

"And you continue to aid him in this endeavor?"

"I…"

"Most interesting indeed." Lucifer gave the rabbit Deva one final glance, then held out his CHAOS fragment and stepped through the portal.

Antiramon then used her toes to grab the crystal shard by her feet and tossed it into her hands. The Deva proceeded onto the daunting task of trying to free herself from her bonds.

* * *

"Aero!" Janet called.

The bruised Aero V-dramon stumbled over to their party, carrying Zelia's raptor body in his arms.

"We're glad that you made it too!" Janet panted, gesturing towards Steve, who was being supported by Siavon. "Steve's been freed from the Devas' control now, and…"

Aero was barely listening and seemed lost in his own world.

"Aero?" Janet asked softly. "Are you…"

"I'm all right." Aero breathed. "But, she's…"

"Oh no…" Janet realized, running a claw over Zelia's limp body.

"Man...I barely even knew her." Steve muttered, hobbling over to Janet. "This is all my fault."

"No, you couldn't have had any control over it." Aero replied. "She was my responsibility…and she ended up protecting me instead."

Siavon then approached and stood silently, starting down at Zelia.

"You're here too Siavon?" Aero queried.

"Yes. She…called me to help." Siavon explained.

"Could she have known?" Aero whispered.

"Known what?"

"This." Aero held the locket out. "Does this seem any bit familiar at all?"

Siavon took hold of the locket, staring long and hard at the photograph contained within. When he looked up however, Siavon spotted the dark, gothic figure of Evza perched on a nearby rooftop.

She was out of everyone's line of sight other than Siavon's, almost as if calling out to him.

"Stay here, I'll be back soon." Siavon clenched his fist around the locket before dashing off without another word.


	41. Dorugoramon Reborn

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Dorugoramon** **Reborn**

By nightdragon0

"Not this thing again!" Zoe muttered, tightening the grip on her sword.

_Why did __**he**__ have to show up now? _Sekata cursed as he raised his arm-blaster and fired. The Positron Laser had very little effect on Arkadimon other than causing it to roar in frustration. _What now? I can't take it by myself… _

"Zoe…" Sekata turned his head to face the Vritramon, a form he'd become so accustomed to calling himself.

"If it's me you're worried about, then you shouldn't." Zoe said, voicing his thoughts. "We all know the risks. Even if you have feelings for me on a personal level, don't let those get in the way."

Zoe wasn't even sure of the last part until it was out of her jaws. But by then, Sekata had turned to stare at her.

"I do, really." He admitted slowly. "But it's not like that…"

Arkadimon roared again and lashed out with its tentacles, smashing them into the ground and shattering the pavement. Both Sekata and Zoe jumped away with their weapons ready.

The three Royal Knights had taken several steps back as well and watched as Arkadimon attacked again.

"Damn, why does that thing get to have all the fun?" Dynamo whined.

Sekata and Zoe had apparently backed far away enough, and Arkadimon turned to face the dark knight.

"Hey, what the?"

"Argent Fear!" Junon fired a shot from her Pile Bunker into the demon's face. "I highly doubt that anyone's in control of it now. It must be attacking on sight."

"Yeah, you got that right." Metallix braced himself on all fours and opened his weaponry section. "Garuru Burst!"

"Hargh!" Dynamo slid around Metallix's missile blasts and hacked at Arkadimon's tentacles. "Yeah, take that!"

However, the dark knight's smile quickly faded as Arkadimon simply regenerated its severed tentacles.

"You know, we outta get out of here." Metallix said nervously.

"Lord Lucifer is still here." Junon insisted. "It would be a disgrace to run!"

"Well we won't do him any good by letting his little pet tear us to pieces." Dynamo interrupted. "The doggy actually has a point. Let's fall back for now!"

"Hurry, while it's distracted." Dynamo gestured towards Sekata and Zoe, who were attacking Arkadimon with their ranged attacks.

"You can go if you want to, but I…" Junon began.

"All right, you're gonna hate me for this lady." Dynamo folded his arms. "But this is for your own good!"

"Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Junon screeched as Dynamo grabbed his fellow knight and threw her over his shoulder.

"I've always wanted to rescue a princess like in those fairy tales." Dynamo told Metallix, who snickered.

"Unhand me this instant!" Junon yelled, pounding on Dynamo's shoulder.

"Sorry, no can do princess." Dynamo called as he ran with Junon over his shoulder and Metallix behind him.

_Old princess. Jan…_ Dynamo thought. _So, you're alive after all. Well, if you survive this, then we'll meet again. Until then…_

* * *

"What? Are they running?" Sekata gestured.

"Looks like it." Zoe replied. "I suppose it's typical of them."

"But notice how it attacked them too, even when unprovoked?"

"Yes. Probably means that they've lost control of it." Zoe agreed. "Don't know if it's good news or bad news."

"Possibly both! Move it!" Sekata jumped away as Arkadimon snapped its tentacles, sending shockwaves across the ground. He fired a burst of Positron Lasers at its knees and ankles, stopping the beast dead in its tracks.

Next, Zoe hit it with a spray of Corona Blaster bolts, setting its shoulders and arms on fire. The demon went down on its knees and roared, shaking the flames off.

Sekata and Zoe watched intently as Arkadimon slowly clambered back onto its feet.

"Our attacks didn't work?" Zoe gasped.

"They're doing damage, just not enough." Sekata frowned. "Watch out! Dot Matrix incoming!"

Zoe got the hint as the demon opened its chest cavity, revealing a bright light within. The pair dove to opposite sides as the white burst tore down the path, leaving a long trail of destruction in its wake.

"Ugh…" Sekata cringed, watching as Arkadimon closed its chest cavity. "Hold on, you get what I'm thinking Zoe?"

"Hit it when it opens its chest?"

"Precisely." Sekata grinned. "But we'll need all the power we can get. Think you can handle Kaiser Greymon's form?"

"Just watch me." Zoe nodded.

"All right, I'll distract him till he gets ready to fire again. When he does, infuse the sword with your flames and stick it in his chest. I'll send a laser through afterwards and he's done for!"

"Waiting on you!" Zoe called, raising her…actually Sekata's D-Dragon. "Hyper Spirit Evolution!"

_Got to finish this quick, before Zoe accidentally uses too much of the counter. _Sekata thought as the flames enshrouded his companion. _One shot…that's all we need! _

Sekata lowered his body and charged forward. Arkadimon reacted exactly as Sekata had anticipated and extended its tentacles to stop him.

"Splendor Blade!" Sekata slashed first with his left, then right claws. The attack created a twin wave of energy that ripped the tentacles to shreds. He ploughed into the demon afterwards, pounding away at its head.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sekata spotted Zoe closing in. She was in his Kaiser Greymon form, sword in hand and ready. Sekata planted his feet against Arkadimon's body and kicked off, sending himself into an upwards spin.

Right on cue, Zoe activated the Ryuukonken's ability, opening its blade and firing out a burst of energy bolts. Arkadimon howled as the bolts pounded its armored body.

Still in the air, Sekata turned so that he could aim his wrist-mounted cannon down and pulled the trigger.

"Positron Laser!"

The blue lasers rained down on Arkadimon, leaving the demon staggering about unsteadily. Letting off a low growl, the demon faced the pair and opened its chest cavity.

"That's what we've been waiting for! Go for it!" Sekata ordered, dashing to the side and firing.

Arkadimon moved as the shots sent dirt and concrete flying all around, but remained with its chest open and the light charging within. Suddenly, Zoe leapt in from the other side, clutching her sword tightly.

The weapon began glowing with a fiery aura as she let it fly. And it struck its mark, hitting the left side of the chest, where the demon's heart would've been. Sekata rolled forward and fired without hesitation.

Again and again, his shots pounded the demon at his weak point, sending electrical charges coursing throughout its entire body. The built-up energies then accumulated until the point where a huge explosion occurred, forcing Sekata and Zoe to shield their eyes.

"Did we get it?" Zoe stumbled over to Sekata's side.

"Don't know…" Sekata half squinted towards Arkadimon's last known position, which was now a wall of flames. He could make out some of the rubble, and….wait…something was…

The blast came without warning. Both dragons were caught off guard and hurled dozens of feet across the courtyard as the blast shattered the buildings around them.

In the blink of an eye, Sekata found himself kneeling amongst a newly created set of ruins and gritting his fangs in pain. Parts of his armor had literally been torn off, including both shoulder pads, the left leg armor, the horns of the crown and the plates around his stomach area. He was bleeding too, feeling as much as smelling the warm blood on his hands and body.

His red, leathery Imperialdramon wings had been reduced to tatters, further adding to his agony.

Zoe was slumped against a nearby wall, but had her eyes open. She didn't look much better than him, with the shoulder and body armor of her right side almost completely gone. The scales beneath were not only bleeding, but singed as well.

"What…what…happened?" Sekata managed.

Zoe could only shake her head and point in the direction of the flames. Battered, but still upright, Arkadimon lumbered into view, shaking various pieces of rubble off itself. The sword was still stuck in its chest, or at least it seemed like.

In horror, Sekata realized that the sword had not pierced deeply into the chest. Instead, it had gotten caught in the chest cavity's armored covering and stuck there. Arkadimon exhaled, opened its chest and allowing the sword to drop out.

The Ryuukonken clattered against the ground with an ominously loud and depressing clang.

"I'm sorry…" Zoe whispered, struggling against the pain to move.

Sekata clenched his fists as he stared up at the approaching Arkadimon.

* * *

"Wait you!" Siavon flew up onto the rooftop and glanced around. There seemed to be no sight of the female Digimon from earlier, but the BlackWargreymon certainly knew better. "Hmm…"

A flicker of movement caught his eye and Siavon glided across the rooftop. The dragon warrior had retrieved his single claw weapon before their party had met up with Aero, and he now brought it out, holding it pointed menacingly towards the other Digimon.

Evza stood calmly, seemingly unconcerned about the deadly Chrome Digizoid claw that was held inches away from her face. Siavon glared straight into her cold eyes, panting and hesitating awkwardly.

"You seem to be expecting an answer." The Lilithmon spoke. "However, a question has to come first."

"You…" Siavon grasped the locket by its chain and let it drop open. "This photograph…I have to know about it. I can recognize myself anywhere, particularly because of the scar. But the others…"

"It's been a long time. Many, many years since that fateful riot at Kencric." Evza remarked. "But you don't remember that, do you?"

"Grrr…" Siavon clenched his other fist, with his clawed hand trembling.

"It's so much like your old self, the time when I first found you, washed up on the shore that day. You had no memories, no knowledge of anything. Nothing but the scar on your chest…"

Silently, Siavon ran his free hand across the affected section of his chest armor.

"And I helped out. At first, I promised to aid in seeking out your lost memories. But soon, it turned into far more than just that. It turned into them." Evza pointed towards the locket.

Siavon was confused at first, but he soon realized that Evza had been referring to the other two figures in the picture. As his thoughts drifted, Siavon suddenly realized that Evza was gone and whirled around to face her again.

"You did your best in supporting the three of us." Evza continued. "But in the end, you were always a little wayward. Perhaps it was that sealed portion of your memories that troubled you. And perhaps they were never meant to be unsealed."

"All these…" Siavon muttered. "Why me? What keeps me from knowing?"

"I can only reveal to you the memories of the times we shared together." Evza started walking to the side. "They are all as clear as crystal to me…from our first meeting till the day of the riot, the day that both of them were lost. It seemed then that you had died protecting them, but fate had you survive until now."

"Tell me!" Siavon demanded. "Tell me everything you know!"

"It would take far too long right now. But seek me out later." Evza tossed a small, glowing crystal into Siavon's hand. "Your heart will guide you."

"My heart…"

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, causing the building to shake and leaving the two clinging on to the roof's railing for support.

"Arkadimon's power has reached its maximum." Evza remarked. "But until you understand its darkness as your own, the way to its defeat will remained sealed to you."

Siavon glanced down from his position and realized that his companions were in trouble. Once again, he had forgotten and taken his eyes off Evza. By the time he even thought of looking up, Evza had slipped away again.

He was now left with the locket, her crystal and a strange, forbidding invitation.

_Will this lead the way? _He wondered. _Rest assured, I'll seek you out. If you truly do have the answers to all my questions, then perhaps…_

However, the BlackWargreymon pushed those thoughts aside and leapt off the roof. For now, there was a battle awaiting his entry.

* * *

Arkadimon was closing in fast, regenerating its tentacles along the way. There seemed to be no hope for the two battered dragons until a flash of light tackled the demon, throwing it to the side.

"How'd you like that Strike Fang?" Janet taunted, stepping in front of Sekata and Zoe. "You guys all right? We came running when we saw the explosion."

"Thanks Jan." Sekata breathed. "Hmm? We?"

"That's right!" A small wave of fire appeared between Arkadimon and the party as Steve leapt into view. "Hey guys…"

"Steve?" Zoe looked up.

"He's back on our side now." Janet grinned.

"Hell yeah. It's great to be back on the winning team." The aforementioned Flamedramon nodded. "I guess I owe you guys big time. And I hope I can repay a little of that debt by taking this thing out. Plus, I have a score to settle…"

"We'll do it together this time." Janet raised her Strikedramon claws. "There's no 'I' on this team. I learnt that the hard way from the last time we fought him."

"Well, there is a 'me' if you rearrange the letters."

WHAM! Janet gave Steve a whack on the head.

"V-Wing Blade!" Aero sent off another blast of energy for good measure as he landed. "Quit playing around you two. We've got a job to do."

"Aero? I thought we were staying with Zelia." Janet asked.

"I can't dwell on her forever." Aero replied softly. "It's not something she would want. I thought it over and decided…this team needs me more now."

All three raised their glowing Digivices as their forms changed in unison.

"Matrix Evolution…"

"Gaioumon!"

"Wargreymon!"

"Alforce V-dramon!"

Their single opponent was hardly impressed by the display and Arkadimon lashed out with its tentacles. The three scattered, Aero taking to the sky while Steve and Janet dodged to the sides. Janet dove in first with her twin Samurai swords in either hand.

She was able to get off several slashes before the demon knocked her left hand sword away. Undaunted, Janet continued her assault. Steve moved in from the other side and hacked some of the tentacles off. However, Arkadimon still had more and wrapped them around Janet's arms before hurling her into Steve.

As the two went crashing down in a heap, Aero swooped in from the air with his glowing AlForce Sabre. Arkadimon moved, but Aero still caught its massive bulk in the shoulder. The demon howled and swung its arms about wildly, knocking the blue dragon aside. Aero managed to right himself in mid-flight and landed on his feet, panting.

"Careful guys!" Zoe shouted. "That thing is stronger than it looks!"

"Not only that." Sekata whispered to her. "Look at them. Every single one of us is exhausted from all this fighting. I don't know if we'll be able to outlast this one…"

Zoe regretfully noted that it was true. Steve and Janet were slow in getting to their feet, and Aero was unusually hesitant to make his next attack.

Suddenly, the hole Arkadimon had originally emerged from grew larger as a huge amount of dark energy poured out. All present felt the abrupt change in pressure as a strong, suction force began to draw them towards the hole. That was accompanied by the howling of ferocious winds that had all the dragons driving and grabbing onto the closest solid object. Arkadimon too dug its tentacles into the ground to prevent itself from being drawn back.

"What the hell is going on?" Janet screamed.

"Arkadimon must've opened that portal to the CHAOS that the Royal Knights were seeking!" Zoe yelled over the din. "But Arkadimon went out of control and…"

"So did the portal?" Sekata cut in.

"That's the basic idea!"

Another screaming voice caused the group to turn towards the hole, where Antiramon had scrambled up onto its edge. The rabbit was having a lot of trouble though, as she struggled to find her grip.

Steve looked up, and then turned towards Janet, who was closest to him.

"Jan! Make sure everyone hangs tight!" He shouted. "I've got to do something!"

Without waiting for a reply, the Wargreymon released his grip.

* * *

"Steve! What the heck are you doing you maniac?" Janet roared.

Steve whirled his body into an attacking position and held his claw weapons together.

"Brave Tornado!" Steve started a mini-tornado of his own, spinning around and slamming into Arkadimon.

This startled the demon enough to cause it to let go, the vacuum dragging it into the hole. Steve then broke out of his attack sequence and caught hold of a cracked section in the road, positioning him just above the hole. With his other hand, he reached out towards Antiramon.

"Take my hand!" Steve ordered.

"W…why?" Antiramon stared. "Do you not consider me your enemy? I am a Deva too."

"You're not like the rest of them! I've spent enough time around to see it in you!" Steve protested. "Now take my hand if you don't want to end up in the vacuum!"

Antiramon hesitated for a moment longer, but was quickly loosing her grip. Finally, she shoved her body forward with some effort and took hold of Steve's strong clawed hand. At that moment, the edge of the road she'd been clinging on to broke off, leaving her suspended precariously above the hole. Below that, lay Arkadimon, stubbornly latched to the wall, and the dark, swirling portal below.

"Gargh!" Steve dug both his free claw and his taloned feet into the wall, trying desperately to hold on. "It'll be worth all this if Arkadimon goes back into the void!"

"You can't hold on for that long!" Antiramon protested.

"Ugh…but I can try!"

_He's risking everything to help me. _Antiramon thought. _I have to do something about it!_

Reaching into her robes, the female pulled out a couple of red colored cards, marked on one surface with the symbol of Yin and Yang. As she tossed both towards the open portal below them, the cards glowed and formed a net of energy with two Japanese Kanji symbols, 'Kabe' or 'Wall', and 'Seki' or 'Barrier'.

Steve suddenly felt the suction force of the vacuum diminish and wasted no time in scrambling up into the waiting arms of his companions.

"You should've told me you could do that!" Steve panted.

"Those seals won't last very long against such a powerful force." Antiramon warned, clutching her side in pain. It seemed that she too was drained.

"Help her out of here!" Steve ordered, shoving the rabbit into Aero's arms.

"But she's…" Aero started.

"Just hurry and do it!" Steve snapped as Arkadimon's tentacles appeared on the edge of the pit.

Aero complied and supported Antiramon on his shoulder as he led her away. Janet stepped forward and nodded to Steve, raising her twin samurai swords. Steve dug his claws into the ground and begun gathering up energy from the earth, in the form of a huge orange ball. Janet's version of the attack gathered energy existing in the atmosphere instead and concentrated it into her swords.

"Gaia Force!"

"Gaia Reactor!"

The two unleashed their attacks at the same time, both slamming head on into Arkadimon.

"Gaia Force!" A third ball of energy, though this one red in color, whizzed past and detonated on Arkadimon as well. Siavon landed silently beside Janet and Steve, watching the explosion intently.

Arkadimon was left standing shakily there afterward, its body literally steaming from all the built-up heat energy.

"I think we almost have him!" Janet shouted. "Maybe just a little more!"

However, her optimism was interrupted by a sudden howling. And it wasn't coming from Arkadimon. What she could only describe as ghosts or spirits rose out of the void. Each one was white in color and of random shapes, with holes forming their two eyes and a mouth.

"What the hell?" Siavon grunted, slashing at one. His claw passed right through it, but the spirit still plunged straight into his chest.

The armored dragon cried out in pain and dropped to his knees, with even more spirits hovering around and passing through his body. Steve and Janet were no better off, soon joining their BlackWargremon companion in agony.

"NO!" Sekata stared from further away. "What are those things? Don't we have enough problems to deal with already?"

"Must be the spirits of past warriors lost in the void." Zoe shakily pulled herself to her feet. "Oh no! They're coming this way!"

No sooner had she gotten the words out of her mouth were the vengeful ghosts upon them. Sekata feebly waved his hands to ward off their attacks, but the pain hit him like a bullet. It was like some horrendous creature suddenly crawling beneath his scales.

Sekata screamed, and felt himself being lifted up.

* * *

"Please, put me down here." Antiramon gasped. "You have to go back and help your friends."

"Steve wanted me to save you first." Aero insisted. "And that's…"

The blue dragon paused and turned around upon hearing the howls of the spirits. What he saw when he turned back shocked him into complete silence.

"It's what I feared might happen with the portal open for so long." Antiramon said softly, reaching into her robes. "Here, take this."

The rabbit shoved a deck of cards into Aero's hand, the same cards she'd used earlier.

"Those are 'In' Cards ('In' meaning 'Seal' in Japanese). They're able to…ward off spirits…" Antiramon suddenly collapsed.

"Hey, lady!" Aero shook her and checked Antiramon's vital signs. The rabbit had passed out from exhaustion, but otherwise seemed all right. "Exorcist cards?"

Aero turned back towards the scene of chaos, tightening his fist. Even he could feel the energy radiating from the deck of cards in his hand. Steve, the real Steve, truly believed in this Deva.

Somehow, Aero felt the same way too. Or perhaps it was more of the fact that he didn't have a choice.

"All right, let's go for it…"

* * *

Rising above the ground, Sekata saw himself, his own Kaiser Greymon body as well as Zoe's Imperialdramon form that he'd been inhabiting. The scenes flashed across his mind and seemingly all at once, he saw both Zoe and himself from third person, as well as through both their eyes.

But the pain remained throughout all those visions, at least until he hit the ground again. Sekata found himself able to move and struggled to his knees before realizing that he back in his own body again.

_As in, back to being Kaiser Greymon. _Sekata corrected himself. _But how? _

Grunts of pain sounded as Zoe knelt nearby, in Imperialdramon form. She had her hands held out, with a blue aura glowing in each of her palms. All at once, it hit him that Zoe had protected their souls from being stolen by the ghosts, somehow putting them back in their proper bodies at the same time.

However, she was weakening fast.

"Zoe…" Sekata reached out with a hand, feeling both pain from the spirits' attack and their earlier trashing from Arkadimon. That was when he saw the counter on the D-Dragon of his outstretched right hand, which caused him to stare in horror.

The counter read 88 percent.

_This can't be! Did Zoe use that much up? She could've…no…it's not like that. Zoe doesn't know, but…damn, he does! _Sekata's thoughts ran frantically through his mind. _Did AncientGreymon know that we wouldn't be able to take Arkadimon out? Then perhaps he purposely put Zoe in my body to get her to overuse the powers? So many questions, but just no answers! Damn! I hate this! _

Zoe's cry of pain caused him to snap out of his thoughts, but before he could do anything, a red card flew across the road and landed beside Zoe. It exploded into an energy net of white light that caused all the ghosts around to back away.

"Hargh!" Aero stepped onto the scene and threw two more cards, creating a wall of light that drove the remaining ghosts away.

"Gurgh…" Zoe mumbled in pain as Sekata crawled over to catch her. "That was close."

"Thanks Aero." Sekata agreed. "You really saved us."

"You should thank that rabbit Deva Steve trusted." Aero handed a card to Sekata. "These things really work well."

"Interesting things…" Sekata muttered, looking over the card before slipping it into his belt pouch.

"Then go…save the others." Zoe breathed.

"Yeah, go on." Sekata added in. "We'll be right behind you."

Nodding, Aero stood up and rushed to where Steve, Janet and Siavon lay, throwing the 'In' Cards in practically all directions.

"Hey, nice to see you again." Sekata whispered once Aero was far away enough. "Literally."

"Yes, it's good to be myself again." Zoe smiled.

"This one was really close. If not for Zelia and Siavon, then…I might've lost you to Makuramon back there…"

"Hey, you got free of the spell first, remember?"

"That I…well…yeah." Sekata scratched his head.

Zoe suddenly took a hold of Sekata's claw, squeezing his hand tight in her own. The sudden move surprised Sekata a little.

"To think we could've lost the ability to do even that." Zoe pulled herself up. "After all the times we've almost being killed, I was more afraid of that."

"Sometimes, losing touch with the ones you love is worst than death itself." Sekata whispered.

Upon Aero's sudden scream of pain, both snapped out of their trance and rushed towards their Alforce V-dramon comrade. Aero was down on his back clutching his arm, with the dropped deck of cards lying nearby.

* * *

While Sekata ran to help the blue dragon up, Zoe grabbed the deck and tossed out several cards in rapid succession. The remaining spirits around their companions cleared out, and the fallen trio began to stir.

"Ouch I feel so sick…" Janet moaned.

"Yeah, you and me both." Steve added in.

Siavon said nothing as usual, but was visibly clutching his head and shaking it to ward off the lingering pain.

The special cards scattered around the area had created a network of shimmering circles decorated with various forms of writing, all specially designed to ward off the restless ghosts. Those spirits had all backed away to the pit, leaving only Arkadimon standing before the group. The demon had not been affected by the spirit attack, and had in fact, used the distraction to recover.

"Like there's no stopping it in this form." Aero remarked as the two groups of three reunited. "It must be drawing its strength from some energy source."

"From that portal, where else?" Steve spoke up.

"He's probably right on that one." Zoe nodded.

"If that's the case, then how do we beat it?" Janet added in. "That portal is temporarily sealed by Antiramon's magic, but Arkadimon is still recovering!"

"Arkadimon…" Siavon suddenly muttered. "Until you understand its darkness as your own, the way to its defeat will remained sealed to you. Evza mentioned that to me."

"Evza? The scorceress?" Aero turned his head.

"Understand its darkness as your own…" Sekata repeated. "If that is true, then perhaps it's saying that darkness must defeat darkness.

"What are you getting at?" Zoe queried.

However, Sekata never got the chance to answer as Antiramon's seals on the portal broke that very instant. The group didn't need to see it, but it was unanimously agreed once the suction force started up again, sending all of them scrambling to grab onto something.

All except one.

* * *

"Sekata? What are you doing?" Zoe screamed.

"Darkness must defeat darkness." Sekata braced himself against the ground, one hand clutched firmly around Kaiser Greymon's Ryuukonken sword. "If that's so, then there's only one place I can obtain a sample of that same dark energy as Arkadimon! And that's the void! I have to fight it on its own grounds!"

"No! Sekata!"

"You have to trust me on this Zoe!" Sekata called back, setting his sword and body ablaze with flames. "Trust that I'll have the strength to! And lend me your own strength to do this!"

Zoe hesitated only for a moment longer, then gave Sekata a firm nod. The fiery dragon returned that smile before rushing forward and tackling Arkadimon, knocking both of them through the portal. Whirling around in mid-fall, Sekata tossed the single card Aero had given him earlier.

The energy barrier it created sealed Sekata and Arkadimon just inside the portal's entrance, stopping the strong suction force at the same time. The rest of the group ran over to the edge to see Sekata on the other side of the portal, raising his sword with a ferocious roar.

Black colored energy flowed into the blade as Sekata twirled it about, staring his opponent in the face.

"He's drawing on the energies within the void." Zoe whispered.

Sekata stepped into a sword stance, with his legs apart, and made a downwards slash. The dark blade sliced part of Arkadimon's chest open, leaving some blackish goop to gush out like a fountain. While Arkadimon screeched in pain, the black liquid splattered over Sekata's face and upper body, leaving him crying out as well.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Sekata gritted his fangs and wiped the liquid out of his eyes. Raising his sword, Sekata slashed at Arkadimon again, making another long cut along its left shoulder plate.

The demon raised a fist this time and knocked Sekata to the ground. The armored dragon got to his knees and grabbed his sword, only to be slammed down and pounded on repeatedly. Sekata raised his right arm to ward off the attacks whilst taking hold of his weapon in his left.

Once again, the blade glowed with the dark energies of the void as Sekata brought it up and stabbed at Arkadimon's stomach area. The demon ceased its blows as the role of attacker shifted to Sekata.

"Get him man! Show old ugly who's boss!" Steve cheered from outside.

With a salvage cry, Sekata attacked with his sword again and again, each strike splattering out more of Arkadimon's 'blood'. Gathering up his strength, Sekata charged up his sword for a final strike.

However, instead of his sword's normal fiery glow, the flames ignited were black. Those black flames danced backwards, spreading over Sekata's body. It seemed to hurt Sekata greatly as he dropped to his knees, roaring in agony and clutching his sides.

Both the flames and the black liquid seemed to burn through his armor, leaving several smothering sections to fall off. The liquid that had spread over his body was also reacting strangely.

Zoe saw several projections growing out of his body, like a horrible mutation taking place before her eyes. It didn't look like he was going to make it and she instinctively rushed at the barrier, only to be thrown back.

"We're not going to be able to get through in time!" Janet fumed. "Why'd that idiot have to go by himself?"

"He must've felt it was weak enough to take down." Steve frowned.

"Can't we do anything?" Zoe cried.

"Perhaps we can…" Everyone turned towards Aero as he brought his Digivice up. A glowing blue sphere with red rings within emerged from it, floating into the palm of Aero's hand.

"An X-antibody!" The others gasped.

"Zelia…" Aero clutched the sphere tightly and closed his eyes for a moment. "Sekata! Listen to me! Catch this and use it!"

"You're not alone in this." Zoe placed her claw on top of Aero's. Hers was soon joined by Janet's, Steve's and finally Siavon's.

Aero took hold of the X-antibody once more and hurled it towards the barrier with all his might. The glowing sphere passed right through and sped towards Sekata. Everyone held their breath as Sekata's hand reached up and caught the sphere. He made a thumbs-up as the X-antibody's blue glow begun to flow through his tortured body.

And it was beginning to change…beginning to evolve…

* * *

With a tearing of flesh and scale, a pair of leathery wings ripped out of his back, followed by a silver armored tail ending in a triangular barb. Unlike other evolutions, this one was rather gruesome, causing many of the others to cringe. It wasn't so much of an evolution, more like a violent mutation.

His other features continued to melt into place, forming an upright dragonoid creature with three fingered claws and three taloned feet.

His primary color was silver, with purple covering the lesser sections. These included his exposed underbelly, his joints, neck and the leathery sections of his wings.

The wings were worth mentioning as when spread out, formed a pattern with the silver bone linings, wing phalanges, separating the purple wing webs. Each of the wing phalanges ended in spiked wing claws.

His dragon head was mostly covered in a silver helmet, with two curved horns on either side. The exposed parts of his head were the lower jaw and neck. Finally, a red jewel was embedded in his forehead, which matched that of his glowing red eyes, partially visible beneath his helmet.

In his new dragon body, Sekata stood up and shook bits and pieces of his previous form off. Letting off a thunderous roar, he flared his wings and whipped his tail about intimidatingly.

"Man…" Steve remarked. "Of all things, why does Sekata have to evolve into that?"

"Why? Does it bother you?" Janet queried.

"Sort of. A humongous, purple colored version of him only tried to eat me back when I was getting the X-antibody for you Jan."

"So, Sekata's new form must be Dorugoramon." Zoe remarked. "Wait a minute, didn't you tell Sekata and me that the version you fought had two heads?"

"Erm, well…" Steve started.

"Two heads?" Janet folded her arms. "Hey, you told me it was a fire and ice breathing dragon with three heads!"

"Oh, how coincidental that in my version of the story, the dragon breathed thunder and acid." Aero added in.

"Eep…" Steve muttered, sweatdropping. "Well I really did fight a purple colored Dorugoramon! It was just that…"

An odd growling caught Steve's attention, but as he turned, a large claw sent him flying. The others whirled around in surprise…only to find an identical Wargreymon X standing behind them.

Siavon was the first to react and blocked a sudden claw strike from their foe. He then punched it in the face and shoved the copy to the ground.

"Hey, who are you?" Aero demanded as the others gathered round.

The copy let off an odd hiss and changed its shape in a flash of light. Its true form was a bloated, balloon-like green body. It had two oversized gray hands, and red colored wing-like appendages sticking out of its back. The head was elongated and had a beak like a bird's.

It seemed laughable, but Siavon had trouble keeping a hold on the Digimon, which slipped out of his grasp and changed into a copy of the BlackWargreymon.

"What the? RARRGGHH!" Siavon received a knee butt to his chest in that moment of hesitation.

The armored dragon fell and was about to be skewered by his clone's claws when Aero intervened, catching hold of both his foe's arms. Zoe and Janet had their weapons ready, but couldn't fire without Aero getting in the way.

"A Digimon that copies the forms of its opponents?" Janet muttered.

"Metamorumon, I think that's what it's called." Zoe told her.

"But where the heck did it come from?"

"I don't sense it's a normal Digimon…but it feels very much like those ghosts that attacked us earlier."

"Then, this thing was formed from the collective energies of those ghosts?"

"That's a possibility." Zoe agreed.

"RARGH!" Aero was flipped head-over heels by their new opponent, who was now a copy of Alforce V-dramon.

"Get him now!" Janet yelled, leaping in and slashing.

Metamorumon changed shapes in the blink of an eye, copying her Gaioumon form. Janet's attack met with a parry from her own swords. As she drew back, her clone attacked with much more vigor, forcing Janet to back off slowly.

Zoe darted to Metamorumon's back and aimed her Positron Laser. The Gaioumon clone turned its head and spotted Zoe. This gave Janet the chance to strike, which she wasted no time in doing.

Unfortunately, Metamorumon whirled around and moved inwards, stepping right up to Janet's face and catching hold of her arm. With a noticeable grin, he flipped Janet over…and into the path of Zoe's laser.

BOOM!

"Oh no! Jan! Are you all right?" Zoe cried, running to her friend's side.

"I'm fine…" Janet gritted her fangs. "But watch out!"

Metamorumon, now as Imperialdramon, fired its own Positron Laser, blowing the dragoness duo away.

"Damn, it can copy attacks too?" Aero growled, taking to the sky. "Shinning V Force!"

Not only did Metamorumon change into Alforce V-dramon again, but it also activated the energy shield on its left arm to block Aero's attack. Before Aero could do so much as blink, the sly creature had changed into Gaioumon and sent the Gaia Reactor attack towards him.

Aero was slow in activating his shield, taking nearly the full bulk of the attack. The dragon knight ended up spiraling down to earth.

"Now I'm mad!" Steve was finally on his feet and pounced on their foe.

The Gaioumon clone abruptly shifted back into its regular form, causing Steve to miss. The hovering body was suddenly in front of him and stared into his eyes.

Steve was blinded by a green flash and suddenly felt very dizzy. Shaking his head to regain his senses, Steve found himself face to face with Magnamon, whose arm cannon was jabbed right at his chest.

"Oh son of a…"

BOOM! Steve was sent flying, screaming all the way, and landed face first in a shallow pool of muddy water. Metamorumon switch forms into Raindramon's and shocked Steve with a bolt of Blue Thunder.

"Gagrh! Arrrggghhh!" Steve roared, ending up on all fours as the electrical surge stopped. "All right, now I'm really mad! The Digimetal armor data was given to me by some good friends, and I'll never forgive anyone who uses them like this!"


	42. In Return for the Power

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**In Return for the Power**

By nightdragon0

Sekata opened his eyes and saw nothing other than blackness around him.

_What's going on? What am I doing here?_ His mind felt numb and confused.

His initial reaction was fear, but Sekata blinked until his vision begun to focus. What seemed like hours to him was but a matter of seconds in reality.

_That's right, I remember now. _Sekata thought as a distinctively familiar demon took shape. _I've changed…_

The Dorugoramon clenched his claws and felt powerful flames growing within them. His talons gave off metallic clicks against the ground as he started to walk forward. The thoughts were rearranging themselves as his mind moved back into its proper place.

Whatever doubts he'd been feeling faded away as his situation came to light. And he felt something else building up inside….tremendous energy and rage, anger at the one who had done much harm to his comrades.

And Sekata let all that out in the form of a roar.

_You fool… _A voice within him echoed. _Do you realize what you've done?_

"Freed myself from your grasp, AncientGreymon." Sekata hissed. "I've gotten hold of a power far greater than yours!"

_Perhaps, but at what price? _AncientGreymon's voice was distinctively annoyed. _Do you even know where it comes from? Or how to control it?_

"It doesn't matter! Not as long as I've surpassed you!"

_Humph, you're more naïve than I thought kid. Once you start stacking your wagers too high, you'd better be prepared for a time when they'll all come crashing down on you._

"Shut up! Haven't you said enough already?" Sekata snapped. "You're just annoyed because I've got something other than your power to depend on now! You're lying just to get me back to your side!"

_If that's the way you see it, than so be it. I see that it's already started infecting your mind. _AncientGreymon continued. _Well I'll leave you at that then. It'll be interesting to see how you do this without me._

"I've had to deal with both Cyberdramon and Vritramon forms, and curbed their instincts! Whatever it is, I can deal with this one too."

_Perhaps you have. However, this Dorugoramon is quite different from those you've had in the past. _AncientGreymon warned. _You'll have more than merely instincts and me to deal with._

"And why's that?"

'_Darkness must defeat darkness', I quote your own words. You've drawn on the powers inside this void, plus that of the X-antibody to create this new Dorugoramon form. But are you truly willing to become the darkness?_

"I…" Sekata was beginning to realize that perhaps he'd bitten off more than he could chew.

_Are you ready to shoulder the responsibility that comes with that power? I'll tell you sincerely kid, you've made an even greater enemy now…_

Sekata held up the D-Dragon on the fist of his right hand and glanced at its screen. The percentage counter had hit 90 exactly and stopped. However, the screen was beginning to swirl with dark colors as the numbers grew lighter and lighter, until they vanished completely.

The area rumbled as Arkadimon lumbered forward, although it seemed to hesitate in front of Sekata. The dragon still had his hand up and Arkadimon's reflection flashed in the now black screen of his D-Dragon.

However, in place of the demon's face on the body, Sekata saw that of his own Dorugoramon face.

_And that enemy…_ AncientGreymon's voice rang out. _Is yourself. _

"NNNNNOOOOOO!" Sekata screamed, though it came out much more as a roar, and charged towards his opponent.

* * *

Another series of explosions forced Steve to cover his head as clouds of dirt and debris were thrown up. Fuming, he squinted through the dust, trying to see his opponent. In this case, it would also be which form his opponent had taken.

Siavon's yelling rang out as the old warrior tussled with Metamorumon. It didn't help that the shape-changing Digimon shifted into a copy of BlackWargreymon in the midst of the struggle, causing Steve to lose track of friend or foe.

"Grrr…Siavon!" Steve called out.

"Over here!" One of the BlackWargreymon shouted, holding the other one from behind in a chokehold.

"No! Don't listen to it kid!" The second one yelled in an identical voice.

"What the?" Steve growled. "It's starting to copy our voices too!"

Aero was further away, tending to the injuries of Zoe and Janet. That left Steve with the sole task of trying to differentiate which one was the real Siavon.

"Hurry kid!" The first BlackWargreymon shouted again. "Shoot! I can't hold it much longer!"

"Listen kid, just shoot both of us!" The other ordered, struggling to pull his opponent's arms off his neck. "That's the only way you'll get that mimic!"

"All right…" Steve clenched his fists. "Here I go!"

Steve lowered his body and charged forward, claws outstretched. It didn't seem like he had a particular target in mind as he raised his arms, charging up his Gaia Force ability. However, the BlackWargreymon at the rear suddenly released his hold and shoved the front one into the path of Steve's shot.

The younger dragon jerked back a little, but it was too late to stop.

BOOM! The explosion knocked the armored dragon flat onto his back as Steve dashed to his side.

"Siavon! Hey, sorry old man!" Steve panted.

As if to confirm his suspicions, the standing BlackWargreymon morphed into a copy of Steve's current Wargreymon X form.

"Did you know?" Siavon grunted in pain.

"I knew only the real you would tell me to shoot both of you."

"Well, your aim was off kid."

"Hey, I'd like to see you try it old man!" Steve snapped.

"Careful!" Siavon warned. "It's coming!"

Steve's claws went up just in time to parry those of his opponent. The young dragon fought back, pushing against his opponent and slashing. He got two hits in, and then found himself slicing through thin air.

"Where'd he go?" Steve gasped, glancing around.

Instinctively, his head went up…just in time to see a Flamedramon descending upon him. Steve raised his claws, only to have both weapons kicked off his hands by Metamorumon. The imitating Digimon brought its flaming gauntlets down, slamming Steve in the chest.

Steve hit the dirt hard, and immediately pulled himself to his knees.

"He changes so fast, I can barely keep up." Steve muttered, gritting his teeth. "Wait, that's it! Well if I can't beat it, I'll copy it!"

Metamorumon stood over the fallen dragon, waving its arms and taunting him.

"Hey you! Two can play the changing game!" Steve yelled, glowing in a white light.

The moment the light dispersed, Steve stood in his Magnamon form and fired off a laser burst. Metamorumon jumped back and covered its face to block out the explosion, which threw up a huge cloud of dust. The creature suddenly burst out from the cloud as a copy of Magnamon, firing its arm-mounted lasers.

But Steve was prepared and switched to his Sagittarimon armor.

He spun his bow in a circular motion to deflect the laser shots and charged forward. His opponent was going too fast to stop and Steve ploughed into him. The difference in their body masses sent Metamorumon toppling over. The shape-shifter changed into Sagittarimon as it rolled to its feet, only to find Steve, now as Raindramon, dashing between its four centaur legs.

"Heads up!" Steve growled, thrusting his nose horn into his foe's underbelly and letting off an electrical burst.

This time Metamorumon was sent spinning into the air, though it managed to change into Raindramon and shake off most of the electrical charges.

Then, a blur of light shot past. Steve, as Flamedramon with superior jumping abilities, somersaulted above his opponent and thrust down with both feet. Metamorumon didn't react in time and was literally stomped into the ground, leaving a large crater in its wake.

The shape-shifter let off an odd moan and rose, now as Flamedramon. Steve stood ready as the samurai-like Yasyamon and swung his thick wooden blades into his opponent's knees. With one of its greater advantages eliminated, Metamorumon hissed in pain and received a kick in the face, knocking it flat onto its back.

"Oh yeah!" Steve grinned, showing a thumbs-up. "I so rule! Hahaha!"

* * *

"Foolish kid, now he's made things even more complicated than before." AncientGreymon muttered.

The armored dragon paced around the foggy graveyard, making his way along the gravel pavement, past the rows of tombstones and up to the stairs of the old temple. Of course, this was the spiritual graveyard that existed within Sekata's mind, the place where AncientGreymon dwelled in solitude.

It had all seemed so simple until now. He'd found the perfect host, one who'd taken the bait and made a pact with him. One with a heart full of rage and desire, one whose battles would keep supplying him with the energy he needed.

AncientGreymon paused and glanced up at the flashing numbers in the dark sky, with the percentage stopped at 90.

"I've suffered in this state between life and death for so long. I won't let you take this chance away from me!"

Of course, he could not let his host know that. He had to be stronger, more ferocious, more assured in order to keep his host guessing. And his cards had played out well until now. Therefore, he could not afford to lose his focus.

But with the new powers Sekata had drawn on, damn. AncientGreymon had expected the boy to be foolish and reckless, but not to this extreme.

In theory, one could think of the void Sekata had stepped into as a large, enclosed dome. Within this dome, hundreds of thin beams of lights shot out from the walls, representing all the different energies swirling within the void.

When Sekata begun to draw on those energies, the lights would turn and point towards him. And thus, he gained the appropriate energy granted by those different beams of lights. However, the kid couldn't control how many of the lights turned towards him, and in turn how to use the powers they granted.

Yet, neither could AncientGreymon, not without putting himself as risk.

And there was always that small chance that one particular 'beam of light' would hit Sekata…the one representing the energies of the timeless entity, CHAOS.

"No although the CHAOS does exist within the void, its energies are too faint at the surface." AncientGreymon told himself. "The chances of them getting to the kid are about one in a million."

And besides, he'd be able to sense and make plans for that scenario if it did happen. Perhaps then, once the counter hit 100 and the ancient dragon had all he needed from Sekata, killing the kid might not be so much of leisure, but instead a necessity.

But what was this he was feeling? A pang of regret? No, he had lost all sense of those emotions so long ago. Since that time against the D-Reaper, when he'd been denied both death and life.

Indeed he had destroyed it, but the freak explosion had left his consciousness trapped with the Human and Beast Spirits of Fire. His existence within those two, inanimate artifacts had long since erased all of his emotions.

Nothing else mattered now, nothing until he got his life back. The life that had so wrongly been denied to the hero of the D-Reaper wars. And for that, he needed Sekata.

But why? Why did he hesitate?

"No, I am not letting him off! I am not!" AncientGreymon yelled to nobody, slamming his front paws against the pavement.

Once he had told Sekata that both of them were so much alike. Now, it was working to Sekata's advantage instead of his own.

"Damn it all! RAARRGGHH!" AncientGreymon let all his fury out before lying down on the temple steps.

It shouldn't be long now. Not long before he'd have a body again….have a life again. AncientGreymon had already seen this in his visions. Reassured that Sekata could not escape his destiny, AncientGreymon knew he just had to wait a while longer.

After all, he had already waited for an eternity. A while longer would come soon, considering the combination of Sekata's recklessness and devotion to his comrades.

_Just a while longer…_

* * *

"Don't get cocky kid." Siavon came up beside Steve. "And let's finish it off before it has a chance to recover."

"Right on it gramps." Steve lunged forward, morphing into Gargoylemon.

Metamorumon was just getting to its feet, changing into Yasyamon at the same time. Steve simply used his wings to knock the weapons out of its hands and grabbed it around the neck.

That turned out to be his first mistake as it left his opponent's hands free to bash him on the lower jaw. Steve saw stars for a moment and accidentally released his grip. Metamorumon took the opportunity to reverse the situation and grabbed Steve from behind, shifting to Gargoylemon's form as it did.

"Dammit kid!" Siavon hissed furiously, claws raised.

"Just shoot!" Steve yelled back. "Take your own advice man!"

However, Siavon hesitated, suspecting that Steve wouldn't be able to withstand the blast as effectively. In the midst of his thoughts, Metamorumon grabbed the leather belt strapped around Steve's Gargoylemon eyes and ripped it off.

"Hey! What the?" Steve cried, confused.

Siavon attempted to fly away, but the flash that emitted from Steve's eyes blinded him in mid-air. The old warrior dropped to the ground, feeling a strange numbness spreading throughout his body.

"Garghh…arghh…." Siavon gritted his teeth as the feeling turned into pain.

He glanced down at his left hand, the hand that he had his single claw weapon strapped onto. And Siavon stared for a long time, because his hand wasn't its normal color. He didn't even have any feeling in it to begin with.

It was the dull grayish color…of stone. A dreadful gray wave that was rapidly sweeping up his arm.

There was another odd crunching sound of stone and Siavon craned his head back…to see his rear 'wing plates' had turned to stone as well. He'd barely had time to register that fact before Steve's screaming echoed through the area.

The Gargoylemon was facedown on the floor, being continuously pounded on by a Metamorumon imitating his Wargreymon X form.

"Kid! Keep your eyes closed! I'm coming!"

"What? Siavon what did I do?" Steve cried in-between grunts. "Are you all right?"

"Just shut up and hold on! RARRGHH!" Siavon charged in and knocked Metamorumon aside with his one good hand.

The shape shifter stumbled and Siavon continued pounding on it in a furious rage of blows. The armored dragon's attacks were getting slower and slower as the stone curse crept through his body.

"Siavon! What's going on?" Steve shouted, groping around for the leather face band.

"Steve, hold still." It was Aero's voice, who slipped the strap over Steve's face.

"Where is he?" Steve immediately sprang up, grabbing the dragon knight for support. "What's going on? No…"

Metamorumon was about to deliver the finishing blow to Siavon's partially petrified body when Zoe and Janet, in their respective Mega level forms, tackled the Wargreymon X copy and dragged it aside.

"Siavon!" Steve and Aero dashed to their companion's side.

The BlackWargreymon was in a kneeling position, with his right knee up and his free hand braced against it. His already petrified left arm was braced against the ground, supporting his body. The stone curse had also crept over his left torso, covering him from the waist downwards and all along his back, severely restricting his movements.

"Hey, what happened?" Steve, who was now back to his standard Flamedramon form, took hold of Siavon's right hand. "Did I…"

"It wasn't your fault." Siavon breathed.

"A gargoyle's stone curse…" Aero whispered. "You can't stare directly into their eyes, or else…that happens."

"Can't we do anything about it?" Steve looked up.

"I haven't heard of any way other than by defeating the one who originally placed the curse." Aero said hesitantly.

"Steve…" Siavon pulled Steve's shoulder. It surprised Steve a little because it was one of the few times that Siavon had actually called him by his name instead of 'kid'.

"I'm sorry…" Steve sniffed, tears forming in his eyes.

"Don't you dare think of doing anything to yourself for my sake." Siavon snapped. "Or who else will be around to fix this mess of yours?"

"Um…" Steve managed a nod.

"Take care of yourself while I'm not around to baby-sit you." Siavon managed a laugh as the stone curse crept up his chest. "And let this old dragon rest."

"Siavon…" Aeromaru knelt down. "Is Zelia? Is she?"

Siavon responded by tugging on Aero's arm and dropping a couple of objects into his palm…the locket and the crystal shard from Evza.

"Find out…for me. For us all…" Siavon whispered. "She told me to trust my heart…and my heart entrusts this to you…"

"I promise." Aero clutched the two objects tightly in his fist.

Screams resounded as Zoe and Janet were sent flying.

"Guys watch out!" Zoe shouted from her position on the floor.

"It's coming!" Janet added in.

Steve and Aero jerked their heads up as Metamorumon charged in. Its Wargreymon X form was battered and charred, indicating that the girls had done a respectable job.

Everything that happened next did so in slow motion.

Metamorumon jumped in, preparing to strike as it switched forms. Its body was just glowing in a shimmering white light, being in the midst of its change, when something struck it hard.

With their hands instinctively raised above their heads, Steve and Aero turned to see Siavon's right hand held up. A reddish burst escaped his palm moments before the rest of the hand was turned to stone.

The blinding flash that followed next forced everyone to look away, including Siavon, whose head was turned back as the stone curse crept over his neck, locking him in that position.

All remaining heads stared as the burning body of Metamorumon hit the ground before turning back to Siavon. The stone curse had sealed off his jaws by this time and prevented him from speaking. Only his right eye remained untouched for the moment and it looked towards Steve, who was trembling uncontrollably.

Siavon managed a wink before closing his eye and letting the wave of stone cover it completely. Steve then let off a long, mournful howl of agony and threw his arms around Siavon's cold stone form. His tears flowed down the lifeless body, mixing both with the soil and the rainwater that had suddenly begun pouring down.

Aero pounded the ground in a sense of helplessness and frustration. Janet stuck her twin swords in the ground, trying to hold back her own tears. Zoe had closed her eyes and was shaking her head when another roar sounded from down below.

Ignoring her injuries, Zoe scrambled up and sprinted over to the pit. Inside, lay the still sealed portal where once of her friends still fought for his life.

"Sekata…"

* * *

Arkadimon's tentacles instinctively shot out as Sekata approached, but the Dorugoramon was in too much of a frenzied state to be bothered at all.

"Brave Metal!" The flames as Sekata's claws spread all over his body, enshrouding him entirely in an orange glow.

Sekata barely remembered what he was doing after that. Everything seemed like a blur as he literally tore through the tentacles, followed by the body of Arkadimon itself. Each piece he sliced off burned with his flames as it was hurled further into the void, spraying out its black blood like a fountain.

The demon's screeches were completely drowned out as by Sekata's roars as he took it apart. In a matter of minutes, he was slashing at thin air simply continued at it. The power…the feeling was so great…he…he just didn't want it to end.

Then came the suction force that begun dragging Sekata into the void. Realizing he'd gone too far, Sekata scrambled in panic and dug his claws into the ground, if there was one that is. Still, he didn't seem to have a grip and was slipping further and further away.

His vision grew foggy as his strength started to falter.

_Is this…really the end for me? _He wondered. _Darkness…that's all I see…that's…all there is…_

"Sekata!" A voice called.

_Wha…Zoe? Is that really you? How?_

"Sekata come to your senses! Please!"

"Zoe…Zoe?" Sekata opened his eyes.

"Sekata! Over here!" Zoe was standing at the entrance to the portal, waving her arms desperately. "Come back Sekata! You're getting too far!"

"I…I can't…" Sekata panted. "It's got me Zoe. It's…I've gone….too far…"

"I trusted you!" Zoe shouted. "Have you forgotten already? You need my strength now, so let me lend it to you!"

"You don't understand! The dark powers here have already infused into my body!"

"I don't care what's happened to you! Just as long as you come back, we can find a way to help you!"

"Zoe…"

"We're a team Sekata." Zoe held out her hand. "And you're our leader! You've gotten us this far! So don't even think about backing down now!"

_I'll find a way… _His own words echoed in his mind. It was what he'd said to AncientGreymon the day he'd made that deal with him. _So would Zoe, and everyone else. _

With a renewed burst of energy, Sekata scrambled up towards Zoe. The Imperialdramon reached back and came up with Sekata's Ryuukonken sword.

Sekata didn't know how she'd gotten a hold of it, but he realized that the magical seal on the portal must've dispersed when Zoe climbed over the edge and into the void. She grasped the bladed end and held the hilt out to Sekata.

Closer and closer, until finally his claw caught the hilt. Sekata grabbed on with all his might and pushed as hard as his legs and tail would go. Several drops of blood landed on his face and Sekata suddenly realized that they were Zoe's.

She was grasping onto and pulling the blade end of the sword, leaving long cuts across the scales on her exposed palms. Still, it didn't seem to bother her at all as Zoe furiously tugged and pulled.

Slowly, but steadily, Sekata rose upwards. Up through the portal and out of the pit….just as the walls exploded and collapsed behind the two, burying the portal and all below.

The pouring rain beat down hard on Sekata as he rose, moving to where Zoe lay panting.

"Sekata! We made it!" She cried happily.

However, the excitement was short lived as Sekata let off a low growl.

"Sekata?"

"Grrrr…Zoe…I…garrrrghh!" Sekata roared. "It's…it's got hold of me Zoe! I can't control it any more!"

"What? Sekata, what is it?" Zoe cried.

"Stop me!" Sekata managed. "Please, stop ME!"

With that, he lunged with his claws outstretched. Zoe backed off, but sparks flew as Sekata slashed into her stomach plate. The Imperialdramon dropped to the ground screaming as Sekata stood over her.

Then, a blue burst filled her vision and Sekata was suddenly on his back, moaning and groaning. Zoe blinked and realized her right hand was raised.

The same hand that her Positron Laser cannon was mounted to. And the cannon was smoking, as if it had just been fired. It then hit Zoe that she'd fired on instinct, without even thinking about it.

"Oh no!" Zoe jumped up and dashed over to where Sekata lay.

"Don't come any closer Zoe!" Sekata warned, clutching his chest in pain.

"Sekata…"

"Chain me up. Lock me somewhere and throw the key away!" Sekata raised his voice. "Do it so I won't hurt anybody else!"

"I…I can't…"

"You have to! Hurry and get it done now!"

Zoe glanced around and spotted a chain with a padlock lying on the pavement nearby. Sekata suddenly rose with a snarl and Zoe dove into a roll, grabbing the chain and springing into a kneeling position. She swung the chain several times above her head before letting it fly.

Fighting hard against his fit of madness, Sekata broke out of his attack sequence and stood still as the chain found its mark, wrapping itself around his body. Zoe knocked him down and continued to twist the chain around his dragon body, making sure to immobilize the legs, arms, wings and tail.

Finally, Zoe flipped him over and secured the chains using the padlock, clipping it shut at the back of his neck. Sekata howled and moaned as he rolled about, pathetically snapping his jaws.

Exhausted, Zoe flopped down to the ground. She reverted back to her XV-mon form and couldn't help but break into tears.

Janet and the others had all been watching the scene from further away. Everyone spent the next few minutes in the pouring rain catching their breath as Aero returned, carrying Zelia's body in his arms.

"Antiramon's gone." The Alforce V-dramon reported solemnly.

"Leave her be." Steve spoke up. "She helped us win this day. So we should just let her go."

Janet had been silent all this time, but now the Gaioumon stood up and wiped the rain out of her face.

"We won this day…" Janet muttered. "But it doesn't feel like a victory at all."

"We've all had losses." Zoe walked over, never taking her eyes off Sekata's bound and struggling form. "It's bittersweet…"

* * *

"Looks like everything's finally died down." Dynamo remarked, squinting against the rain.

"Yeah, after all those weird lights and freaky howls, I'm glad it's over." Metallix sighed.

The three were standing on top of a hill overlooking the remains of the ancient city. Dynamo had been using a spyglass, but couldn't make out much at all. That left the group only to speculate what was going on down below.

"Think the boss found what he was looking for?" Metallix asked. "You know, that CHAOS thing and all?"

"If he did, I think he would've come back by now." Dynamo replied. "He's probably still searching around inside that portal he had his pet Arkadimon create. Which is bad."

"Why?"

"Because we won't be getting our paychecks while he's in there." Dynamo fumed, his cape flapping in the breeze.

"After all this, that's still the only thing on your mind." Junon said with a soft laugh. The pink armored knight had been sitting silently by the side with her helmet off.

"Hey, you should get it out of your head that I'm stupid!" Dynamo retorted. "If I was, I wouldn't have dragged you out of that place."

Junon hesitated for a while before looking up.

"Thanks."

"Hm? For what?" Dynamo scratched his head, confused.

"For getting me out of there." Junon explained. "I was being overzealous back then. That could've led to disaster. Truth is, even I don't exactly know what Lucifer's really after. I just stay so close to him because…"

"It makes you feel important?"

"More of my pride as a Royal Knight." Junon got to her feet. "I feel that I have to live up to that name."

"Boss probably feels the same way, heh." Metallix interrupted.

"Not very likely. Lord Lucifer comes for a lineage that has never been known as desirable in the eyes of the population." Junon shook her head. "And because of that, it's always bad with his business dealings, he used to tell me. Hmmm…"

"What is it?" Dynamo asked.

"Forget it. It's Evza that has me worried too."

"That she's disappeared again?"

"I don't entirely trust her." Junon folded her arms. "Although she did mention earlier that there was some experiment she was looking for under this city."

"Experiment?" Dynamo sighed. "Hey, doesn't she already have enough of those?"

"It was something different, a very different and ancient experimental project." Junon brought up a handheld data pad and tapped several buttons on its screen. "However, since her current position is moving away from this location, I assume that she wasn't able to find it."

"Current position? Hey, this looks familiar!" Dynamo snatched the device out of her hands. "It's my tracking screen! I was wondering where it went to!"

"Hey, does this mean you…" Metallix began.

"Yes, I planted a tracking bug on Evza's robes." Junon grinned. "I want to figure out why she stayed so close to Lucifer, and I should be able to do so by following her. And perhaps, she might lead us to Lucifer in the end."

"I'll come along, on the condition that you let me handle my own equipment." Dynamo fiddled with a couple of buttons of the touchpad. "My designs mean a lot to me you know?"

"That, I will not argue with."

"And say, you can always give me a kiss while you're at it." Dynamo smirked, turning his face. "You know? For the knight getting the princess out of trouble thing."

SLAP!

"Don't push you luck buddy! I'd just as soon kiss a dinosaur." Junon snapped.

"I can arrange that!" The Chaos Dukemon responded. "Hey, and I AM a Guilmon too! So maybe I should revert so I can get my kiss."

"Dream on!"

"So I will!"

"Hey guys…" Metallix turned back to glance down at the ancient city. "Even if Evza didn't find the experiment, that doesn't mean that it isn't there, right?"

"Well, I suppose there's a chance it could be buried somewhere deep within." Junon was caught slightly off guard.

"Because I heard her describing it to the boss while we were on the boat." Metallix shivered. "And it sounds even worse than Arkadimon! So what if someone finds it?"

"Then I hope the Digital Gods have mercy on his soul." Junon said as they started walking away.

* * *

"WAAAAAHHH! AAARRRGGHH!" Mihiramon the tiger rolled down the hole, screaming all the way.

At the end, he emerged into a large, dimly lit room and was thrown roughly onto his face. Moaning, he pulled himself to all fours, rubbing his sore nose.

"Aren't cats supposed to land on their feet?" Makuramon's voice sounded.

"Hey, you're here too?" Mihiramon looked up.

"Yes, I get stuck with the only cat that lands on his face."

"I'm quitting the business." Mihiramon growled. "I can't take all this stuff anymore."

"You might as well." His monkey companion muttered sorely. "We had everything in our grasp, and it all slipped away in a matter of seconds."

The Deva slammed his hand down on the platform he was sitting on, and unintentionally moved a lever into its down position. All at once, the lights of the room came on, startling the pair.

Now that it was brighter, the Devas could see the place they had stumbled into was some sort of laboratory. The walls were all white colored and featureless. Tables, chairs and various pieces of laboratory equipment were scattered in messy piles all around the area.

However, the thing that attracted the most attention was the series of huge, semi-translucent cylinders lining the rear wall. All of them were broken or shattered, except for a lone survivor in the far corner.

"Hmm? It seems like there's something inside that one." Makuramon dragged his companion over.

The cylinder was filled with a light green liquid, but despite that, the creature within was still visible. Both Devas gasped in awe as they looked up.

It was a strange looking creature, and one even more difficult to describe. For starters, it was a large and bulky creature, easily filling up the entire cylinder. It seemed somewhat like a mix of a centaur and a dragon, but with a series of jointed legs like a crab's and the tail of Death-X Dorugoramon, bearing a shimmering orb as the barb of its tail.

The creature bore a total of three sets of red and black feathery wings on the back of the 'horse' part of its body. Beyond that was the trunk of and head of Death-X Dorugoramon. Although the body and head had the same purple and golden coloring of Death-X Dorugoramon, the arms were completely different. Instead, they were thin and long, ending in razor-sharp four fingered claws.

One more prominent feature that stood out was the green jewel embedded in the creature's chest.

This Digimon was known as Death-Xmon, a truly fearsome sight to behold.

"What the heck is it?" Mihiramon stared.

"Could it be? Is this thing the lost experiment that vanished with this city?" Makuramon walked up to a control panel in front of the cylinder. "These symbols are strange too. But I believe it's a very old and ancient language."

"Hey, are you sure it's safe to do that?" Mihiramon protested as his companion begun tapping on the control panel. "What if that creature…"

He never got to finish that sentence as an ear-splitting crash interrupted him in mid-speech. The tiger was violently grabbed by a long arm and crushed in the claws attached to its end. Makuramon fared no better and could only let off a short scream before he too was dragged into oblivion.

A pair of emotionless, glowing red eyes was the last thing either of them saw.

"He is here." The creature's voice resounded throughout the empty room. "He has awakened. So, at long last, our time has come…"

* * *

**1 week later…**

"Hey Aero…"

"Oh, hi Steve." Aero looked up from his desk as Steve opened the door to his room.

"Still trying to figure those two out?" The Flamedramon indicated the locket and the shimmering crystal, which lay amongst the pile of books and papers on the desk.

"Yeah, I figured out that this crystal is like a tracker." Aero held it up between his fingers. "However, I am not sure how to activate it."

"You've been working almost round the clock since we got back." Steve placed a claw on his shoulder. "We both owe it to Siavon, but even the old man wouldn't want you to get so ruffled up like this."

"I know, but I just feel like I'm so close." Aero closed the book in front of him and lay back against his chair. "If only Siavon could've told me more before he…"

Steve didn't need to look to know that Aero was glancing over to Siavon's petrified form, which stood in the corner of the room.

"I know." The younger dragon sighed. "The old man always said that he'd help to decorate our base one day, but I don't think he meant that in a literal sense."

"Steve!"

"Hey, I'm just kidding. It's called trying to lighten the mood you know?"

"Sorry." Aero muttered. "I just have a lot on my mind."

His eyes fell upon the desktop image on his computer, which had him standing beside their fallen comrade, Zelia the Raptordramon, in a field of flowers.

"How about the locket?" Steve queried.

"I'm certain there's nothing special about it other than the picture. Everything definitely lies with this crystal here."

"I was referring to if you've made up your mind to tell the rest of them about Siavon's…"

"No, not just yet." Aero shook his head. "Everyone's still recovering from the recent events. And we should look into it first, before…"

"Steve? Hey bro are you here?" A voice called from below.

"Rain? Hey is that you?" Steve gasped. "You're finally here!"

"Looks like your little Raindramon brother's made his way down here again." Aero nudged him. "Better go see to him like a big brother should."

"Haha, very funny." Steve laughed, pulling his hands back along the table. However, as he did so, Steve accidentally dragged a couple of books off, which fell and landed open in a pile.

"Oh man, sorry about that!" Steve yelled as he dashed out the door. "I'll be back to clean that up later!"

"Which is pretty much a never." Aero frowned, leaning over.

The crystal slipped from his claws as he did so, landing on top of one of the open books. It didn't so much as land, but rather it was as if it was sucked towards the page, and stuck firmly there. Aero lifted the book up and realized that it contained a collection of old maps.

With most of the map data available in electronic format, the paperbacks weren't used as widely now. But as Aero glanced down at the page, he found the tip of the crystal pointed to a certain spot on the map. The book was quite outdated, but with a little cross-referencing, he could work out the exact location.

Perhaps this was the secret of the crystal after all, to guide him in the right direction.

* * *

BAM! Janet frowned as the white ball ended up in the pool table's pocket instead of the red one she'd been aiming for. The Strikedramon stepped back and allowed Katsu to make his move.

"You're not concentrating." The bug-type told her.

"Yeah, I'm still ticked off over the recent events." Janet admitted, shifting the cue between her claws. "After being totally humiliated like that, we came back and got so close…only to lose it all again."

"Hit another dead-end, you mean?" Katsu failed to knock a colored ball into the hole and motioned to Janet.

"The portal is completely sealed up, and we don't think there's a way to open it again from the same location." Janet leaned across the table and took aim. "So Lucifer is basically running around in who-knows-where and there's no way to go after him right now. Plus, we haven't heard from any of his goons since that battle, not like they'd be of any help anyway."

"I thought you had several acquaintances of yours helping out?"

"Yes, in trying to trace these dark crystal shards formed from the energies emitted when the portal closed. It's some complicated theory about how raw energy turns into crystals, but if we can track those down, they could lead to another portal, and perhaps even a way to open it."

"But those crystals would've been blown far away by the last explosion."

"Precisely. Meaning that they could be practically anywhere." Janet drew her arm back. "And that sucks!"

This time, she struck home and sent the red colored ball rolling into one of the corner pockets.

"Hey guys!" Steve barged excitedly into the room, accompanied by the Raindramon, 'Rain'. "I think we have a lead!"

"Yeah, my fellow knights managed to trace a dark crystal shard being sold on the black market!" Rain added in.

"Well, out with it already!" Janet tossed her cue aside, cracking her knuckles. "I'm itching for some action!"

"RRAARRGHH! GGRRRRRAAAOOGGGHHH!" A series of roars drove everyone in the room into silence.

"Erm, what the heck was that?" Rain asked nervously.

"That's Sekata." Janet answered solemnly.

* * *

He looked really pitiful and Zoe could barely stand to stare at him like that. However, the greatly overturned furniture in the basement cell was proof enough of Sekata's current state of madness.

The Dorugoramon was bound by multiple chains to a large steel chair. His arms were tied behind the chair, as was his tail that was pulled through a hole at the backrest. His massive wings were folded against his back as the chains ran all across his chest. Sekata's legs too were chained to the chair's legs, leaving him with practically no allowance for movement at all.

What Zoe held in her hands now was the muzzle usually placed over his head. Sekata was snarling and snapping his jaws about wildly, much to Zoe's dismay.

"How long will you be like this Sekata?" She whispered.

She stood watching for a while longer and finally gathered up enough courage to approach him again. Sekata seemed to calm down as she reached out and ran a claw across his shoulder. However, he quickly went back to his normal routine and snapped his jaws at Zoe, even though she was out of reach.

Zoe hadn't been able to do anything to help him. Every time she tried, it seemed as if there was a wall of blackness blocking out his mind from hers. Nevertheless, she'd been coming to see him everyday, no matter how much it pained her to do so.

"H…e's…com…ing…"

Zoe jerked up. Had that been Sekata's voice? Had he actually spoken this time?

"Sekata?" Zoe leaned closer. "Sekata, do you remember me? What's going on inside your mind?"

"He's…coming…" Sekata repeated, though it was difficult to make out the words that came out as a mixture of barks and growls.

"He?" Zoe wondered. "Who?"

"D…ea…th…" The dragon hissed. "Dea…th…X…"


	43. The Shadow of DeathX

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Shadow of Death-X**

By nightdragon0

"You came down all this way just to tell us?" Steve nodded. "We really appreciate it buddy."

Rain, Janet and himself had all dropped themselves onto couches in the central gathering room.

"Wasn't easy, but we pretty much stumbled upon a lucky break." Rain brought out a circular holographic projector and placed it on the table.

"Hey, the important thing is that they turned up, right?" Steve smiled. "So, let's take a look at it Rain."

The Raindramon nodded, switching the holo projector on. A 3D image of an elongated purple crystal flicked into view. There was, of course, no way to tell if this was the right one, but the group viewed it with interest nevertheless.

"If it is one of the Chaos Shards, then we can use its energy signature to track similar ones to itself." Zoe spoke, stepping into the room. "That would lead us to another portal, possibly open it, and then we can go in after Lucifer."

"Sounds like a lot of work." Janet muttered, receiving nods from the others.

"Anything on Sekata's condition?" Zoe suddenly changed the subject.

"From our tests on a sample of his Digital DNA, there shouldn't be anything wrong with him." Rain informed her. "I'm sorry, but other than that, there's nothing that we've managed to uncover so far."

"I understand." Zoe nodded, biting her lip.

"So, where exactly is this Chaos Shard you've located?" Janet raised her hand.

"Bought off the black market and in the hands of another undesirable character I'm afraid." Rain gestured. "My leader and the others are currently planning to infiltrate their operation, but we're having a hard time tracking them down. Still, you can expand the holo projection there to take a look."

"How? Like this?" Janet pushed a button and the display changed to a 'Now Loading' screen. "Say, where is Aero? We're discussing important things here and he's missing out."

"Hey guys! Bad news!" Cimons came stumbling down the stairs. "Aero's gone!"

"Yeah, yeah we know." Janet huffed. "It's just like him to…"

Everyone stopped short as their expressions turned to looks of surprise.

"Gone?"

"That's impossible!" Steve gasped. "I just talked to him about half an hour ago!"

"Yeah, I thought he was in his room, but I found it empty with the window open!" Cimons explained.

"Why would he go running off without telling any of us?" Zoe wondered. "It's not like him at all."

"Oh no, don't tell me he's gone off after Siavon's mystery by himself?" Steve whispered.

"What was that bro?" Rain queried.

"Nothing!" Steve jumped off the couch and dashed up the stairs to Aero's room.

The Flamedramon threw the door open and found everything just as Cimons had mentioned. Aero was generally a very tidy fellow and nothing else seemed to be out of place other than the pile of books on his desk. He'd even taken the time to shut down his computer before making his abrupt exit.

A quick glance over the desk found the books to contain old maps and sketches, none of which made any sense to Steve. What he did notice was that neither the locket nor crystal of Siavon's was there.

"Damn, Aero really went charging off by himself." Steve whispered. "Idiot, I told him to wait for me!"

"Find anything?" Janet appeared at the door, together with Zoe and Rain.

"Nope, looks like we'll have to trace him using these." Steve brought up his D-Dragon and flicked through the screens until he came up with the map. "According to this thing, Aero isn't that far away, but we'll have to hurry and catch up, otherwise we'll lose track of him!"

"We'll go with you." Janet spoke up, gesturing towards Zoe, Rain and herself.

"But…"

"Don't argue and let's hurry!" Grabbing Steve by the scruff of his neck, Janet promptly dragged him down the stairs.

"Ow! Ow! Hey that hurts Jan!"

"Will he be all right?" Rain asked nervously.

"Steve's got a pretty thick head." Zoe grinned. "Come on, we don't have time to lose."

"How about the rest of us here?" Cimons met the group at the bottom of the staircase. "We could…"

"No, since Adrian is out in town, I…we need Katsu and you to keep an eye on Sekata." Zoe knelt down and brushed the dino's forehead. "We're not blaming you for letting Aero run off, but just make sure Sekata doesn't….well, you get the idea."

"I won't mess this one up!" Cimons raised his paw in a salute. "You can count on me!"

"I know we can." Zoe acknowledged.

Nodding to each other, the rest of the party sprinted out the front door.

Meanwhile, the holographic projector everyone had left on the table finally finished loading its expanded image. Besides just showing the purple crystal shard, it now showed some of the background, being what seemed like an old wooden room.

A Puppetmon was seated on a counter in the middle of the room, holding up the crystal and waving gleefully at the camera.

* * *

"Hmmm, this must be the place." Aero muttered, planting his feet firmly on the grass.

The spot he'd taken was on top of a hill overlooking the area below. There wasn't much to see, for all around were green, wide open plains with several old buildings standing around, in particular a castle to the far west.

It was probably an abandoned village from the looks of things. He'd followed the crystal's directions to this location on the map, but now he was faced with the problem of where to go next. It could be a wild goose chase for all he knew, because Aero had no clue about what he was supposed to be looking for in the first place.

"My heart is supposed to guide me…" Aero repeated. "But that was meant for Siavon, not me. So how can I…"

Then, he felt the crystal vibrating against his chest. The shimmering gem mysteriously rose up and pointed its sharp end towards one of the wooden houses. It looked like it was about to 'jump' off its chain, which was around Aero's neck, but fortunately the chain held.

Taking a deep breath, Aero ran one claw along the locket hanging around his neck, and flew down to the small house. A quick examination of the exterior didn't reveal anything suspicious to him and the Aero V-dramon slowly pushed the door open.

There was only a single room within and Evza the Lilithmon sat on a large chair, looking up as Aero approached.

"It's you…" Aero muttered.

"Did he not come?" Evza asked.

Aero opened his mouth to answer, but in the blink of an eye, Evza was gone. The dragon felt a cold chill behind him and whirled around to find the sorceress standing calmly behind him.

Before the stunned dragon had time to react, she brought up a finger and placed it against his forehead. Aero immediately felt slightly dizzy and stumbled against the wall, using it to support himself.

"I see, so that's what happened." Evza nodded, lowering her hand. "You made a promise to Siavon, and you're here to honor that by meeting with me."

"Did you…just read my mind?" Aero stared.

"The mind is a deep and delicate instrument. I only touched the surface of it."

"You were the one Siavon mentioned then." Aero straightened up and looked at the photograph inside the locket. "You're the one in this picture too, aren't you?"

"Tell me then, why do you truly wish to know? To dive into matters far beyond your own?" Evza asked, walking in a circle round the room.

"You already know. Because I made a promise to Siavon, and I won't go back on that."

"I see you are a righteous one. But I sense there is another reason."

"I…it's…" Aero bit his lip. "It's for Zelia too."

At that remark, Evza glanced right into his eyes. Aero returned the look with eyes aflame of resolution.

"Very well then." Evza broke the silence after almost a full minute. "This is what you wish to know…"

At that, she took hold of the crystal around Aero's neck and placed in against his forehead. The gem flashed brightly for a second and Aero let off a brief grunt before he dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Darkness told hold of his senses after that.

* * *

"He's got to be around here somewhere." Steve muttered, staring at the map screen.

The group had stumbled upon an abandoned village and was standing amongst the remains of old, wooden huts. Unbeknown to them, the hill they were facing was the same one that Aero had been standing on not too long ago.

"He's definitely somewhere in this village, but looks like we can't really pinpoint his signal." Zoe commented. "Some kind of interference…"

"Um, guys I don't think it's a good idea for us to be here." Rain suddenly spoke up. The younger, armored Digimon was constantly glancing nervously over his shoulder.

"How come?" Zoe queried. "Does this place seem familiar to…"

"Shhh! Quiet all!" Janet suddenly raised her hand. The Strikedramon dashed forward and hid behind one of the huts, gesturing for the others to follow.

From their new position, it became apparent that they weren't the only ones in the abandoned village. A small, red-scaled figure was lurking around the walls of the nearby castle.

It was a Guilmon, who had a rug sack by his side and was fiddling with something on the wall. He occasionally eyed the stone pavement surrounding the perimeter of the wall too, as if calculating something.

"Grrr…it's Dynamo in his lower form." Janet snarled. "I could sniff him out anywhere!"

Before anyone could utter any words of protest, she got down on all fours and begun creeping through the long grass, headed straight towards her nemesis' position. Her tail would occasionally rise above the grass level, but she was otherwise silent and barely caused a stir in the vegetation.

"Uh oh, this is not good." Steve whispered.

"Shouldn't somebody stop her?" Rain muttered.

"Come between Jan and Dynamo? Sure, but before you do that, let me know where to send the flowers for your funeral."

"Steve!" Zoe hissed. "At least she had the sense to stay down wind of him."

Meanwhile, Janet had snuck up undetected and approached Dynamo from the rear.

"Now I just connect this wire here and I can blow this…" Dynamo was whistling when he was abruptly tapped on the shoulder. Whirling around, he found one very angry Strikedramon glaring into his eyes. "Whoa! Princess! What are you doing…"

WHAM! Dynamo's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets a Janet planted a front kick between his legs.

"Gaarrrggghh! Hey! No fair! I wasn't ready yet!" Dynamo moaned, clutching his groin in pain.

"Go tell someone who cares!" Janet growled, grabbing Dynamo around the neck and slamming his back into the wall. "Now, I'm going to get some answers out of you!"

"Ack! Ow!"

"And I mean right now!"

"Hey princess, I know you're still mad over the whole puppet incident," Dynamo waved his claws. "But…ack! AArrrghh!"

"I'll give you two options. I can torture you first to get you to talk." Janet let off a smirk as she tightened her grip. "Or you can talk first, and then I torture you."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh, you think so?" Raising her tail, Janet revealed a large hunting knife strapped to its tip. "I know how to hit a guy where it hurts."

With a growl, she waved the blade's flat surface just above Dynamo's groin area.

"Argh! No! No! No!" Dynamo screamed. "All right! I'll talk! But I don't know much! I swear!"

"Man, she's scary when she gets mad." Steve gawked.

"It's something about this castle, and an energy source beneath it. Junon found out and I came here investigate." Dynamo panted.

"What energy source?" Janet queried.

"I don't know! You think I'd be wasting my time checking it out if I knew what it was?"

The wall Janet had been pressing Dynamo's back against suddenly shifted, and before either of them could move, the wall gave way. Actually, it seemed more like a hidden passage had opened, causing the wall to fall back and sending the two plunging down a dark tunnel.

"Jan!" Steve, Zoe and Rain sprang up, dashing through the grass.

Just as they reached the moving wall, Dynamo's rug sack, which had been left on the ground, suddenly detonated. The explosion was small and hardly even enough to even knock the trio down.

However, what it did was crack open the stone pavement beneath their feet, sending the group plummeting into yet another hidden passageway.

* * *

Night had fallen and the dark basement was lit only by a single lamp hanging from the ceiling. Cimons shivered and curled up on the couch, making sure he was as far away from Sekata as possible.

The dragon was peaceful at the moment, but there was still no telling what he could do in his current state of mind. Sekata had been fully chained and muzzled, but Zoe had asked that someone be watching him at all times, just in case.

Despite his weariness, Cimons found it nearly impossible to get to sleep. Perhaps in was something about being in the same dark room as a ravenous, killer dragon. Perhaps it was spooky environment of the messy basement too.

The Dorugamon jumped up upon hearing a creak, only to find it was a draft blowing the lamp from side to side. Taking a deep breath, he glanced back towards Sekata, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping. Occasionally, he'd stir or utter some muffled grunts, but was otherwise silent.

"Man, what's up with you big guy?" Cimons muttered.

However, it was Sekata's mind that was currently in a state of unrest.

* * *

"Are you still running? You know you can't escape."

Sekata opened his eyes as the voice echoed around him. He expected to see the graveyard as usual, and was startled to find himself in a dark, endless void.

"Come to me…"

A light shimmered in the distance and Sekata unsteadily got to his feet, using a claw to block out the glare. He was still in his Dorugoramon form and without even thinking, begun stumbling towards the glow.

As he did, the purple colored form of Death-X Dorugoramon flickered over him, though Sekata didn't realize it and kept on walking.

"Oh no you don't!" A roar sounded, piercing the void like a bullet.

"AncientGreymon?" Sekata stared. He was then knocked to the ground as the ancient warrior ploughed through, shooting off a fiery burst towards the glow.

"This one is mine! You hear me?" AncientGreymon growled.

"What the…" Sekata got to his knees, a sudden pang of weariness washing over him.

"Damn kid! Do you really want to become Death-X's other half?" AncientGreymon hissed furiously. "There'll be no turning back once that happens!"

"What are you so concerned about then?" Sekata replied. "Everyone seems to want me! You…him…I can't stand this! What is it? Why me?"

"You've got much greater potential than you realize. Or at least you used to." AncientGreymon shook his head, not directly answering Sekata's question. "Seems that I've been too soft on you as of late!"

The armored dragon lunged and Sekata instinctively rose into a fighting stance. However, AncientGreymon was abruptly thrown off an invisible wall, repelling him far away.

"No! Grrr…." AncientGreymon pulled himself to his feet. "It's happening already?"

A huge pair of claws suddenly reached out and grabbed Sekata's body. The dragon struggled, but was dragged down the path until he was face-to-face with the head of Death-X Dorugoramon.

No, it was really the face of Death-Xmon.

At some point, Sekata knew that he had awakened in the 'living world' once more. Although he was back in the dark and dingy basement, the face of Death-Xmon was still there, staring right into his eyes.

He tried to scream, only to find his jaws muzzled shut. He tried to move, to run, and found himself bound firmly by heavy chains. Not only could he feel the breath of the huge creature before him, but the aura of something much more mysterious.

"What the hell?" A softer voice rang out.

It was Cimons, who had obviously fallen asleep on his watch. Not only had the purple dino gotten a rude awakening, but his mind was also contemplating how the massive bulk of Death-Xmon had gotten into the basement right before his snout.

Sekata uttered a muffled warning as Death-Xmon shot out one of its long arms towards Cimons.

"Cannonball!" The Dorugamon jumped above the strike and fired off a silver cannonball from his jaws.

The attack was dead-on, but merely bounced off Death-Xmon's hide. The synthetic beast grunted and lashed out again. Cimons was fast, but with the limited space in the room, he was eventually hit and thrown hard against the wall.

In the midst of the fight, Death-Xmon's moved its body and knocked Sekata's chair right off its fastenings. The chair, with Sekata still chained to it, slammed against a nearby shelf, sending all of its contents spilling down over Sekata.

Something sharp must've sliced one of Sekata's muzzle straps, for he managed to wiggle his head out of it. To his horror, Death-Xmon was lumbering over to the dazed Cimons, who lay groaning in the corner.

"Hey leave him alone! It's me that you want, isn't it?" Sekata spat.

The gesture did little more than annoy Death-Xmon, who sprayed the restrained dragon with a fiery breath, leaving him roaring in pain. It then turned back to its slow approach towards Cimons.

_No! I won't let him! I won't let this happen! _

Sekata's mind flew into a blind state of frenzy and panic. He threshed and struggled against his bonds, seemingly to no avail. As his vision went all red, Sekata felt a fiery rage growing within him.

It was the same one he'd felt back in the ancient city.

Roaring like a maddened dragon, he strained his already worked muscles against his bonds. Once, twice, and then….the chains snapped.

"Brave Metal!" Sekata charged and rammed his foe aside.

Death-Xmon screeched as he pounded on its head, grabbing it around its neck.

"Sekata! Garrkk! It's me….no…don't…" A soft voice echoed out.

_Stop? No, I can't stop now! I've got him just where I want him! _Sekata's thoughts rang out in his mind.

Death-Xmon was struggling, futilely trying to ward him off with his claws. Merely that thought…the pleasure…the fury of crushing his opponent for good kept him going.

He wasn't about to let this chance slip. He couldn't…he had to…had to…

"Stop…please…it's me…." The voice cried out again. "Cimons…."

Then, the figure fell limp. Sekata blinked twice as his vision begun to clear….and realized that he was holding Cimons in his arms.

* * *

**Flashback…**

"Excuse me, are you all right?"

"Ugh…hmm…"

The dragon opened his eyes. His head was pounding and his body aching all over.

"So you're alive after all. I thought you were dead for a moment there."

As his vision cleared, the dragon found himself staring down at his black, armored claws. It took him a while to regain his senses. But when he did, he heard the waves.

_The beach. _He told himself, although he was not sure how he knew.

"You must've had an accident. Are you all right?" The voice asked again.

Blinking, the dragon sat up and glanced towards its source. There, kneeling by his side, was the human-like Digimon, Lilithmon. The dragon's mind was still blurred, not being exactly sure how he knew all these things.

"Well, you seem to be fine." The female smiled. "Do you talk?"

"Talk?" The dragon muttered.

"Looks like you do. Can you tell me your name?"

"Me? I….who…what am I?" The dragon suddenly snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"I…everything's…I don't understand…I don't know!" The dragon slammed his fists into the ground and clutching his chest as a sudden burst of pain shot up.

There was a small pool of water nearby and the dragon glanced at his own reflection in the water. What he saw was a dragon-like head covered in a gray helmet. A single horn sprouted from the end of his snout with two more curved ones at the sides of his head. His yellow colored hair was also showing from beneath his helmet.

"Hmm, you look like a Wargreymon breed, only that you're black in color." Lilithmon remarked.

"I…am?" The dragon paused a while before clutching his head. "I don't remember anything."

"Sounds to me like you've lost your memory. If that's the case, I suppose there's no point in asking you about how you got that scar on your chest."

"This…scar?" The BlackWargreymon ran a claw across it. It was a circular part of his chestplate that looked more worn than the rest, as if something had pierced right through his stomach before the hole was patched up.

"You're certainly an interesting fellow." The female continued. "You know, I have connections with this doctor who might be able to help you. I know that we've only just met, but…"

"No, I'd certainly appreciate the help." The black dragon nodded.

He still didn't know why or how, but he just felt that this was the right thing. Some strange feeling just told him that this was the way things were 'destined to go'.

"Oh and by the way, my name is Evza." She introduced. "I'm doing research in the magic field, but at the moment I'm just an apprentice."

After a few awkward seconds, Evza withdrew her hand sheepishly, remembering that the dragon didn't even know his own name.

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right, really." The dragon nodded, closing his eyes. "I suppose you need to call me something."

The BlackWargreymon paused for a moment, and then voiced out the first thing that came to mind.

"Call me Siavon."

* * *

"Whatever you do, don't let go Rain!" Steve yelled.

"Ya…thmk…" Rain mumbled with his jaws clamped onto the ledge. The Raindramon's front paws weren't meant for gripping, leaving all three in danger of sliding off the edge.

And nothing was visible below other than darkness.

Zoe had apparently knocked herself unconscious during the fall, leaving Steve to grab her shoulder with one hand and Rain's tail with the other. The light from above was barely visible now, indicating that the trio had fallen quite a distance.

"I'm trying to think of something, but I can't reach my D-Dragon." Steve called, tightening his hold on Rain's tail. "You have any bright ideas?"

"Hehehe…" Rain giggled slightly.

"Hey, this is no laughing matter here!"

"Taul…tickluch…" Rain managed. "Hehehe…"

"You're ticklish at your tail?" Steve screamed. "Oh no, please don't!"

"Hehehe…stup…muving…"

"What? Like this?" Steve's claws were gripped around the center section of the blue Raindramon's tail, leaving the tip to poke him in the eye. "Ow! Hey!"

Steve shifted his fingers on reflex and Rain couldn't restrain himself any longer.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Rain burst out laughing, obliviously letting go of the ledge.

"Oh son of a…gggaaaarrrrgggghhh!"

_Well, at least he'll die laughing. _Steve thought dryly.

Then…splash! Steve was suddenly submerged in water.

"Garrgghh! AArrrgghh!" Steve spluttered, threshing his limbs about. "Help! There's water in my eyes! Help! Get me out of here!"

"Hahahaha!" Rain's voice sounded.

"Help! Quite laughing and help me! I'm drowning here!" Steve cried.

"Hey bro!" Rain managed to lower his hysterical laughing to a giggle. "Have you tried standing up?"

"Huh?" Steve stopped and complied…to find that the water level only came up to his waist.

Rain burst out laughing again as Steve's face went bright red from embarrassment. The temple on the left side of his forehead was also throbbing with rage.

"Not funny!" Steve growled, taking a step forward.

CRUNCH!

"Rrraaarrrggghh!" Zoe sprang out of the water roaring in pain. Steve had apparently plodded on her tail and she instinctively swung a fist, sending the smaller Flamedramon spinning into the air.

"WWWAAAHHHHH!" Steve yelled as the wall came into view. "Aww crap! This is gonna hurt!"

WHAM!

Both Zoe and Rain stared, sweatdropping, as Steve slid down the wall with a long, loud screech.

"I…I didn't mean to do that." Zoe gasped. "Are you all right Steve?"

"Oww…no, I'm hurting all over if that's what you're asking." Steve moaned, flopping down on his back. "Let's just not do that again."

"Well, we're going to have to fly back to the surface." Zoe noted. "Think you're up for…"

There was a sudden scraping sound and three heads turned up just in time to see a set of heavy metal doors closing above their heads. The circular area was plunged into darkness, being lit only by a series of blue lights along the floor.

"Or not…" Zoe finished unhappily.

"Look on the bright side guys." Rain piped in. "At least the ceiling isn't coming down on our heads."

No sooner had he said it did spikes emerge from the metal doors. Gears creaked as the ceiling came speeding down.

"You just had to go and jinx it, didn't you?" Steve yelled.

Zoe scanned the circular area that was partially the rocky 'shore' and partially the pond they'd plunged into. Nothing offered any escape from the ceiling deathtrap, except for…a small alcove just above the water's surface.

* * *

"Wha…no…" Sekata stared in horror. "Cimons! Wake up!"

The dino didn't respond. His eyes were closed and his body motionless, with his limbs hanging limply by his sides. Around his neck were claw marks…from the claws of Sekata himself.

"No….no…please! I'm sorry! I…I didn't mean it!" Sekata pleaded.

However, there was no denying it. His friend was dead….killed by his own claws.

Sekata let off a long howl of anguish, which was soon cut off by the laughing of Death-Xmon. He hadn't even realized that the beast was still there until it stomped him into the ground before baking him with flames.

"What's going on in here?" Katsu kicked opened the door and stood there staring.

"Holy shit!" Adrian stuck his head in through the door and yelled.

"NO! Look out!" Sekata reached up painfully with a hand.

Death-Xmon swung one of its arms, knocking the door off its hinges and into the Digimon pair. The Shadramon and Airdramon were thrown several feet back before being crushed by parts of the shattered door.

They would live at least, unlike…

"RRRRAARRRGGHHH!" The very thought of that drove Sekata into a wild rage, and he pushed up against his opponent. Fighting both the flames and his foe's brute strength, Sekata pounded its underbelly, again and again.

Death-Xmon howled and stumbled back, giving Sekata enough room of maneuver out of its grasp. With a howl, Sekata jumped and slashed at its right arm, making an almost clean cut through. Pain suddenly shot through his arm and Sekata stared at the bloody mark that had appeared.

It barely registered in his mind that his wound and that of Death-Xmon's were the same before Sekata was grabbed in its two huge claws. The creature seemed to snicker in his face before it literally ripped his right arm off.

The ripping of scale, flesh and bone shocked Sekata into submission, so much that he didn't feel that pain at all. Death-Xmon simply dropped him onto the ground, revealing the wound Sekata had inflicted on its arm had almost completely disappeared.

His opponent then backed off, fading into a cloud of gray smoke that flowed out through the window and disappeared.

"Come to me…" Death-Xmon's voice echoed.

It was then that the pain registered in his mind, though Sekata was probably screaming long before that. He had the misfortune of opening his eyes at the wrong time and watching as his severed arm reattached itself to his body.

The white bone simply fitted and fused into place, followed by the flesh that mended itself and the scales that covered the joint. The disgusting swishing and grinding sounds were something that Sekata would not forget for a long while.

"Sekata! Cimons!" Katsu and Adrian had recovered by this time and dashed into the room.

The two were talking a lot after that, but Sekata barely heard anything. He was still far too stunned at his rejuvenation process.

_Is that what AncientGreymon was saying about me becoming 'his' other half? _Sekata wondered. _My pain…his pain…we were linked…_

"Sekata? Sekata…" It was Katsu's voice.

"I'm sorry." Sekata whispered. "This is all my fault…"

"No, it's not. You couldn't have stopped that monster by yourself." Katsu turned to where Adrian was sobbing over Cimons' body.

"But I…"

"Don't talk, just try to rest." Katsu put a claw on his shoulder. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"No…I have to stop it. Stop…him…" Sekata pulled himself into a kneeling position.

"You're hurt!" Katsu insisted. "You can't possibly…"

"Don't try to stop me!" With a sudden spur of energy, Sekata dashed past his companions, up the stairs and out the door.

Next thing he knew, he was soaring through the night sky, following his instincts towards his newfound nemesis.

"Death-Xmon…" He whispered. "You'll pay! I swear that you'll pay for what you've done!"

_No, it's what I've done…_Sekata thought bitterly.

* * *

"This is all your fault!" Janet jabbed a claw at Dynamo's chest.

"My fault? Hey, who was it who threw me against the wall in the first place?" Dynamo snapped. "I was minding my own business, when who comes along?"

"That's exactly the point! You just have to show your face here." Janet growled. "And maybe if you'd answered my questions faster, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

Recovering from their fall, the pair had broken out into a heated yelling and growling match. Unfortunately, all the shouting through the corridors of the dark passageway was getting them nowhere fast.

The two eventually calmed down and leaned against opposite walls for support, trying to regain their bearings.

"Well princess, seems like we're stuck beneath an old haunted castle together." Dynamo spoke up. "Déjà vu?"

"Don't remind me." Janet hissed. "I'm still hurting from the last time this happened."

"Ok, ok, I'll get right to the point. But I'll say that neither of us are gonna get too for on our own…so how bout we work together on this one?"

"Grrr…I am so gonna regret this."

"Think I am already princess." Dynamo fumbled in the darkness and came up with a wooden torch, which he lit with a fiery breath.

The glow of the flames danced off the stony walls, but revealed nothing more than a long, straight corridor heading off into darkness. Whatever tunnel they'd fallen down through had apparently sealed itself off, leaving them with only one path to follow.

"I hate this place already." Janet muttered, trudging forward.

"You and me both princess." Dynamo strode after her. "Wandering about in corridors beneath haunted castles isn't exactly my kind of thing, you know?"

"Humph." The Strikedramon hissed.

"So…" Dynamo walked up and nudged her side. "I guess we have a truce for now then?"

"More like a ceasefire. That's the only thing keeping me from running an Erase Claw across your throat right now."

"Oo…nasty." Dynamo waved his torch about.

The light of the flames fell upon several carvings on the wall, which caused Dynamo to pause and examine them.

"Now this is interesting." He remarked, sticking his torch into a crack and wiping the dust off the wall with both claws.

Out of curiosity, Janet did the same and Dynamo stepped back to give her some room. The carvings seemed to be a set of random pieces, but Janet made out an image of a castle with two dragon-like shapes battling over its roof. Both of them were colored in black.

Another image showed a triangular object, probably meant to be a tornado with all the wind swirls marked around it. A final image was that of a large circle with another two dragons fighting within.

One of the black dragons from before was there, together with a white colored dragon. The white one was standing over the black one with a sword pierced through its opponent.

"Huh? Wait a minute…" Janet rubbed the stones a little harder and squinted in the dim light.

The first carving with the dragons over the castle had one black one and one purple one in it, not two blacks. And it was this purple dragon that was being skewered in the final image. Janet racked her brain for anything they'd gone through and came up with nothing that might relate to the cravings.

"Seems weird to me." Dynamo spoke from behind. "But I think that it might be…garrk!"

As Dynamo's sentence was abruptly cut off, Janet whirled around…and found nobody there.

"What the hell?" She grabbed the torch off the wall and swung it around. "He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air, could he?"

Heart pounding, Janet glanced up and down the corridor, but found no trace of any place that Dynamo could have run off to. And the stones were definitely too hard for him to dig through so quickly.

She wasted no more time and dashed down the corridor. Panic over took all rational thinking as she ran, simply wanting to get away from this place.

Further down, the wall shimmered as one of Dynamo's claws and the tip of his snout poked out. He was desperately struggling, but was quickly dragged back into the wall.

The ripples then vanished, leaving the stone wall looking perfectly normal and untouched.

* * *

"Everyone! In there! Now!" Zoe ordered.

The others needed no more encouragement before splashing into the cold water and diving into the alcove. There was barely enough space for the three of them, with their heads just above the water's surface.

However the next instant, the ceiling trap crashed down, literally squeezing them into the tiny alcove.

No one spoke for the next few seconds as they lay gasping for breath. On one side, their faces were pressed against the stone walls whilst on the other, against the flat metal surface of the ceiling trap. They were up to their necks in water too.

"At least we're alive." Zoe panted. "But what do we do now?"

"Erm, guys I really think this is the place." Rain muttered.

"What place?" Steve queried.

"You know how earlier I was telling you about the Digimetal Knights investigations about that Chaos shard?"

"Yes?"

"Well, the fellow who has the shard is supposedly hiding out in this haunted castle."

Zoe and Steve waited a full minute before bursting out with questions.

"And you didn't think of telling us this earlier?" Zoe growled.

"Haunted castle? You mean you knew?" Steve added in.

"Sorta, but I just didn't recognize the place…"

"Forget about it." Zoe shook her head. "But who was this 'undesirable character' you mentioned earlier? If he's here in the castle, then perhaps he's the one setting off all these traps."

"It was this fellow called…" Rain began.

"Hey wait!" Steve interrupted. "I can feel something beneath my feet! The stones are loose!"

Steve wiggled about as he did his best to kick the stone wall behind him. It took several frustrating minutes, but he finally managed to punch a hole through. There seemed to be a tunnel beyond, however it was completely flooded by water.

"Seems like you'll have to use your Depthmon armor for this one." Zoe remarked.

"I'll see if I can find anything to get us out of this mess." Steve nodded, raising his D-Dragon. "Digimetal Up!"

In a flash, his form melded into the armored merman that was Depthmon. He still had several draconic features like the reptilian-shaped head with horns, but was otherwise clad in light blue armor with gray colored gloves and tail fins. Despite having both gills and lungs to breathe with, Depthmon was equipped with a protective helmet designed to fit over his dragon head.

"Hurry bro." Rain urged. "I really hate enclosed spaces."

"I'll be back soon." Steve winked, before pulling the helmet's visor down over his face. With a splash, he disappeared beneath the surface, squeezing himself down the hole and into the underwater passageway beyond.

Flicking on the searchlights attached to his helmet, Steve made his way through the narrow tunnel. It twisted and turned at many points, and Steve feared at times that it would lead him to a dead end. However, he was pleasantly surprised when the tunnel opened into a large pool of water.

The bottom was decorated by various pieces of junk, including parts of old ships, steel towers and many fallen pillars, creating some sort of an obstacle course.

"Wonder what the heck happened here?" Steve said out loud. "Looks like a war took place above."

The aquatic Digimon squeezed his way through the underwater wreckage, glancing around out of curiosity. It was amidst the darkness of the waters that Steve failed to detect another presence lurking nearby.

To put it simply, the creature was an oversized red crocodile with an extremely long snout. Lining its back were two sets of blue 'sails' running all the way down to its tail, which split into two. Blue fins were also visible on the joints of each of its four limbs.

This Digimon was Leviamon, and it was rapidly approaching Steve's position. The latter was far too late in reacting and was slammed into the rubble.

"What the?" Steve kicked his tail off the bottom and barely avoided being stomped on by the creature. However, he only managed to get several feet away before being whipped by its tails.

With a scream, Steve smashed into the hull of a sunken ship and got his arms tangled in a set of cables in what was apparently the ship's storeroom.

The stirring of the water nearby caused him to look up….right into the approaching jaws of Leviamon.

"RRRAARRGGGHHHH!"

* * *

_He's here, I can feel it! _Sekata told himself.

A large structure was coming into view, and by the light of the moon it was an old castle. Surrounding it was a village of run down, and probably deserted houses. His instincts pointed him towards the castle and Sekata was surprised to find his D-Dragon beeping.

Bringing up the map screen, he found the signals of his friends in the vicinity.

"Zoe and the others are here?" Sekata whispered. "Then that creature….Death-Xmon…could it be going after them?"

_Death-X is something like the virus counterpart to the X-antibody. _AncientGreymon's voice rang out in Sekata's mind. _Therefore, Death-Xmon could've gone after anyone running with the X-program._

"But why not anyone else, but me first?" Sekata continued, not entirely listening.

_Remember that your X-antibody program came from Zelia. And remember too that her form was one of Evza's experiments. So, it's safe to assume that Evza's experiments were based on, possibly even sourced from those in the ancient city._

"How do you know all these things anyway?" The Dorugoramon asked.

_Haha, remember that you're not the only host I've had. I do exist in here, all the time, and I learn things. Not all of them are pleasant though._

"Then Death-Xmon…"

_Would feel a link to you, yes._ AncientGreymon explained_. After that battle in the ancient city awakened him, he sensed that connection, that similarity_.

"But why? I still don't understand."

_Because it would be so much easier to assimilate you._


	44. A Comedy of Errors

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**A Comedy of Errors**

By nightdragon0

WHAM!

The hole in the ship was a little too small for Leviamon to fit through, leaving it stuck half-in and half-out. Furiously, the oversized crocodile snapped its jaws inches away from the tip of Steve's snout.

"Talk about your close encounters…" Steve stared through the shielding of his visor. "Where's the crocodile hunter when you need him?"

However, the distraction had given him enough time to pry himself loose and swim further into the ship. Leviamon's threshing eventually widened the hole enough for it to follow. Steve barely got out of the storeroom's door in time, slamming and bolting the door shut as he did so.

He shoved his whole body weight against the strong iron door as Leviamon continuously pounded on it from the other side. Eventually, the thumping on the door slowed till it stopped, leaving just the rapid thumping of his heart ringing in his ears.

"Whew…" Steve relaxed his tensed shoulders. "I think he's…gone now…"

The Depthmon happened to turn his head….only to realize that he was inside a room with a huge glass window on one side. And Leviamon was glaring at him from the outside.

"Oh son of a…"

Leviamon didn't even give him a chance to finish the sentence before smashing through the window. The aquatic beast did knock an overturned table aside in its charge, giving Steve a chance to duck beneath it and flee. He managed to get through another iron door and slam it shut…only to have Leviamon smash its head through the wall this time.

"Gargh!" Steve gasped, staring at the three walls before him. He'd stumbled into a dead-end room.

Frantically glancing around, Steve backed into a stack of barrels and caught sight of the nearest one.

"Danger, explosives." He grinned. "Perfect!"

Using the tip of his merman tail, Steve flipped the barrel up and punched it towards the threshing head of Leviamon. His pursuer got the barrel caught between its incisors, which served to enrage it further.

Steve triumphantly raised his wrist, which continued a hidden gun within its armor.

"Crap! I can't blow the barrel up!" He suddenly realized. "Not without blasting myself to sub-atomic particles too!"

Ignorant of the barrel, Leviamon continued to push through the hole it had created.

"What now?" Steve muttered as the jaws drew closer.

Another glance through his limited resources had him coming up with a small cylinder full or crude oil. Steve knew he had to take a chance and slowly unscrewed the cylinder's lid.

Everything happened in an instant.

Leviamon burst through the hole and Steve ducked to the side, hurling the opened cylinder. The crude oil inside clouded the waters with a haze of blackness, making it nearly impossible to see. Steve immediately swam up along the ceiling and bolted out the door.

Back in the large room with the broken window, he whirled around and heard Leviamon's roars coming from the adjacent room. Without thinking, Steve fired his wrist blaster.

"Bubble Bomb!"

His shout was met by a much louder explosion. Steve was both deafened and blinded for the second that the force of the blast propelled him away from the ship, out of the water…and onto the rocky shoreline of the underground lake.

Screaming all the way, Steve landed face-first and lay there, panting for a while.

"Gargh…arghh…whew…it's a wonder that I'm so good at this." Steve gasped, rolling over onto his back.

He tried to stand, only to remember that he was currently in his merman-like Depthmon form. Steve immediately felt for the D-Dragon on his left wrist to change armors….and found it missing.

Momentarily panic hit him like a hammer, but a glimmer of light soon caught his attention. The Digivice had been thrown inland by the blast, and was lying by the entrance to a cave further up the shore.

Unfortunately, that left Steve with the dilemma how to get it whilst in his Depthmon form, one that was not exactly built for moving on land.

"AAARRRRRGGGHHH!" Steve pounded his head on the floor before proceeding to crawl up the shore, dragging his merman body along. "Why do these things ALWAYS happen to me?"

Of course, there wasn't anyone around to answer that question.

* * *

_Because it would be so much easier to assimilate you._

The phrase just kept repeating in Sekata's mind, over and over again. It didn't help that AncientGreymon fell silent after that and did not speak up again, even as Sekata landed on one of the many castle tower rooftops.

Poised on the rooftop, the Dorugoramon took a moment to bask in the moonlight and check the surroundings. It was a full moon, something Sekata hadn't seen in a while. Not since the time he'd spent locked up by his own comrades.

He didn't blame them, even though his memories of the event were still fuzzy.

It wasn't even his choice, and Sekata knew that he was just the pawn in a game between AncientGreymon and Death-Xmon. But deciding which was the lesser of the two evils was difficult.

AncientGreymon had existed within him for a much longer time, playing all sorts of tricks with his mind. The former ancient warrior had at first tried to make Sekata think he was like 'another' side of himself. And when that didn't work out, AncientGreymon gradually fell more and more out of the act, revealing more of his true persona.

Deep down in there, Sekata was beginning to feel that his tormentor was just another dragon.

However, Death-X was an entirely different entity. As Sekata clenched his claws and looked down into them, he thought about AncientGreymon mentioning Death-X's other half.

But if AncientGreymon was so against that, why didn't he come up and stop it himself? And why was he so concerned about Sekata not bonding with Death-X? Could he really have no power against it?

A chilling presence suddenly snapped Sekata out of his musings. With his keen eyes focusing in the dark, Sekata made out the ominous form of Death-Xmon hovering above the castle. His sense of smell picked up that same, awful scent too and there was no mistaking it.

Immediately, Sekata felt his blood boiling with rage. Leaping off his perch, the dragon spread his wings and sped towards his opponent.

Death-Xmon looked towards him, snickering. And suddenly, the huge beast was out of his path, causing Sekata to stop short.

"What? RRARRGGHH!" Sekata was hit in the back by a claw swing and sent spinning through the air.

The dragon managed to regain his bearings and flipped over in mid-fall, turning back towards Death-Xmon.

"Brave Metal!" He roared, draconic body glowing ablaze with flames.

Death-Xmon opened its jaws and sprayed him with a green, acidic gas that caused Sekata to choke. The purple dragon stopped his attack midway, leaving him open to a counter attack from Death-Xmon.

Sekata was pounded several times in the face, sending the Dorugoramon crashing into one of the castle towers.

"Why you…" Sekata hissed, dusting himself off.

He bounded back and lashed out with a fist that managed to catch Death-Xmon on the snout. His opponent screeched with an odd howl as it was thrown backwards, stunned. Sekata let off a ferocious battle roar as he slashed Death-X's body with his claws.

All of a sudden, the pain came right back. In horror, Sekata found two sets of three-fingered claw marks on his chest…the same places he'd just slashed Death-Xmon in. His nose was bleeding too, and Sekata remembered the blow he'd dealt to Death-Xmon earlier.

_Not again…why is this happening? _

Death-Xmon's claws suddenly extended and tore through the leathery sections of Sekata's wings. Howling in agony, he went crashing into the castle's rooftop and rolled over onto his back. His foe remained hovering in the air, seemingly unscratched. Once again, the wounds Sekata had inflicted were completely gone.

_Everything I do to him just comes back to me. _Sekata hissed. _But he seems to hurt me without feeling a thing! However, his wounds heal quickly, whereas mine do heal…but at a slower rate. Is that part of his assimilation? _

Sekata had to move as Death-Xmon rained down more of its acidic green breath, melting the tiles where he'd been standing on a moment before. He tried to open his wings, feeling a stabbing pain when he remembered that his wings had been torn to shreds. Whatever healing properties he shared with Death-Xmon hadn't come round to mending his wings yet.

The next second, Death-Xmon glowed with a dark energy and fired a blue energy beam from its jaws. The result was a blinding explosion that blew Sekata through the roof and deep down into the castle.

* * *

"Harghh…gasp…I hate it when these things happen." Janet panted, leaning the wall and trying to catch her breath.

Running mindlessly down the corridor had apparently gotten her more lost than ever. However, she did remember climbing up several flights of stairs. As such, Janet down stood in a corridor with several doors visible along its walls.

_Guess I should try opening one of these… _She thought. _As long as I don't have to go back to where Dynamo…_

Thinking of him made Janet shudder, quickly pushing those thoughts away. After all, she didn't need to bother about what happened to him in the end, did she?

As the old wooden door opened with a loud creak, Janet caught a glimmer of something shiny. She shoved the door fully opened and jumped back in fright….only to realize that she was looking at her own reflection in a full-body length mirror.

Curiously, the Strikedramon walked into the room and found many more mirrors mounted on the walls. It was weird seeing her reflection in so many shapes and sizes at the same time, much like an amusement park's hall of mirrors.

There was a desk in the corner of the room and Janet found a single, circular mirror on top of it, placed neatly under an oil lamp. However, all she saw in this mirror was a hazy fog.

"What's this?" She touched the mirror's surface and the fog suddenly begun to clear itself away.

Janet gasped when the scene on the mirror was revealed. It showed the moonlit night of the sky above the castle…and two dragons fighting on its rooftop.

There was no mistaking the more humanoid-looking one as Dorugoramon. With its silver armor and purple coloring, plus the long tail and distinctive wings, there was no denying it. Even though he was rather beat-up, Dorugoramon was still fighting hard.

The leathery purple sections of its wings had been shredded, along with some of the bones in the wing, called wing phalanges. Sweat was visible trickling down from beneath his helmet and over the exposed lower jaw and neck. She saw the jewel embedded in his forehead glowing too, seemingly along with the tension that was showing in his eyes.

However, there was also something strapped around his right hand too…something very familiar.

"Wait a minute…" Janet glanced down at the map on her D-Dragon's screen, noticing a signal she hadn't before. "Sekata's signal is close by! So that Dorugoramon could be him!"

Sekata's opponent was a huge Digimon, seemingly a mix of a centaur and a dragon, but with a series of jointed legs like a crab's, along with the head, upper torso and tail of a purple colored Dorugoramon. Its arms were different too, being extremely long and thin.

"What the heck is that thing?" Janet gasped. "Oh no!"

The enormous creature's body seemed to turn black as it fired a shimmering blue beam down on Sekata's position. At that very moment, the entire room shook, knocking Janet off her feet. The Strikedramon had to cover her head as bricks from the roof fell and shattered mirrors left and right.

Janet looked up just in time to see the 'viewing mirror' fall off the desk and shatter into dozens of pieces. She didn't have anymore time however, and quickly dashed out of the room.

It was apparently the entire castle, not just the room that had been shaking. Janet positioned herself in the door frame until the shaking had stopped.

_That mirror must've been viewing a scene on top of the castle. _Janet realized. _Then, if that really was Sekata up there…he might be hurt badly! _

Instinctively, Janet reached for her D-Dragon. However, another thought suddenly crossed her mind. It was about the mural she'd seen earlier, the one with the two dragons fighting above the castle.

_One purple and one black?_ _Could it be?_

She was still deciding what to do when a soft scream rang out.

"Hmm?" Janet kept her ears pealed.

"Help….someone…help!"

_That almost sounded like…no, it couldn't be…_ Janet scratched her head. _But it's coming from the next room! _

The Strikedramon walked across the corridor and found the door containing the source of the noise was locked. Frowning, she pressed her ear against the door…only to hear the soft cries for help again.

"All right, here goes!" With a yell, Janet kicked the door down.

* * *

**Flashback…**

"Are you just going to stand there all day? You should learn to relax a little."

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking." Siavon blinked, shaking his head.

"Sometimes you just think too much." Evza remarked.

"Hey! Mom! Dad!" A voice from below called. "Are you two just gonna stand up there all day?"

"Just hold on a minute Zelia, we're coming." Evza leaned against the railing of the two story building.

The cottage was one of the many lining the shoreline, each one built on raised platforms with their main doors facing the sea. On the beach below their rented accommodation, a blue V-dramon and his velociraptor-like sister were casually rolling about in the sand.

The latter of the two, Zelia the Raptordramon, had her metallic helmet and body armor off. Those parts had been thrown in a heap together with a bunch of other beach equipment.

"Zelia don't leave your armor on the sand like that." Siavon called. "You don't want me to make you polish it again when it gets rusty!"

"Geez, I got it already dad!" The raptor replied, pulling herself up from her basking spot.

"There you go thinking about work again." Evza huffed. "There's no point in having a vacation that way."

"Sorry, it's just that I have this big project coming up in Kencric soon." Siavon muttered.

"We'll be coming with you of course."

"No, you don't have to…"

"Oh shush and don't worry about it."

"Well…"

"Or are you thinking about the past again?" Evza said softly.

"I apologize. I suppose I shouldn't bring that up. I wasn't able to find any help for you and…"

"No, it's not your fault." Siavon shook his head. "I've already accepted that some things are best left forgotten. I can't keep dwelling on that, or I won't have a future to look forward to."

"Hey! Mom! Dad! How about this?" The V-dramon, Zack, was waving a camera in one of his claws. "We should get a picture since we'll be stuck in the city for a while, eh?"

"Well…" Siavon begun.

"Oh you're not getting out of this one!" Evza grabbed the BlackWargreymon's hand and dragged him down to the beach.

_Why am I still here? I am not a real Digimon, am I? Shouldn't I just fade off into the void?_

_You may not have been at first, but you've proven that you wish to be so much more. But to cut a long story short, we can make you an offer._

_An offer?_

_A chance to start anew, a different time, a different reality. And to have what you've always desired…a heart…a soul…_

_And what do I give in return?_

_You will remember nothing of the current world, and never will. It is the way of things, for all must remain in the circle of equilibrium. _

_I accept then._

_Hmm? I expected you to consider the offer first._

_I have nothing else to lose. Perhaps in this new world you speak of, I will find my true place._

_So be it then…_

"Camera's counting down!" Zack's voice suddenly interrupted. "3…2…1…smile!"

"Hmm?" Siavon blinked as the automated camera's flash shook all those other voices out of his mind. And just as if having awakened from a dream, Siavon found he couldn't even remember the conversation clearly.

"Dad? Are you paying attention?" Zack waved.

"Oh, sorry." Siavon muttered.

"Check out the picture." The V-dramon thrust a photograph into his hands.

It showed the four of them standing by the seaside, under the light of the setting sun. Evza stood with their two children, whilst Siavon was a little off to the side, obviously distracted again.

"You think this would look good if I put it in a locket dad?" Zelia looked up. "You know? Sorta for good luck."

"It would look good Zelia." Siavon smiled. "It certainly would…"

* * *

"Hargh!" Janet stepped into a fighting stance and glanced around the area, only relaxing when she determined no threat was present.

But this room was an odd one. There were no windows, lights, or entrances other than hers. A single table was the only piece of furniture in the room, with a row of lights candles on stilts leading towards it.

Janet strode curiously into the room and noticed several buckets filled with a strange gray ooze too. The soft voice sounded again and she almost passed it off as being the wind. However, something on the table had caught her eye and the Strikedramon walked slowly forward.

Arranged in neat lines were a series of clay figures that resembled chess pieces.

"What are these?" Janet muttered, leaning closer.

"Hey! Down here!" One of the 'figures' suddenly squeaked.

"Yargh!" Janet fell back onto her butt, and quickly scrambled back onto her feet.

"Hey princess! Am I glad to see you! Get me out of here!"

"Dynamo?" Janet stared. It didn't take her long to find his clay figure, for he was the only one that resembled a Guilmon. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Heck if I know! I got grabbed from behind and dragged into the false wall, and that's all I remember!" Dynamo replied. "Next thing I know, I'm shrunk and can't move! You gotta get me outta here princess!"

"Oh really?" Janet placed both of her elbows on the table.

"Please?" Dynamo begged. "For old times sake, eh?"

"Now THIS is for old times sake!" Janet grabbed his clay figure in one hand and begun shaking him violently.

"Gargh! Argh! Wargh! Hey! Cut it out!" Dynamo yelled. "I'm sorry you're still mad at me over the last incident!"

"Oh no, I'm having too much fun." Janet smirked. "So now you know how it feels like to be on the receiving end of a giant manhandling you."

"Aragh! Put me down!"

"Now why should I?"

"There's someone behind you! Watch out!"

"I'm not falling for that one you little pipsqueak." Janet hissed. "You're probably just…"

The Strikedramon suddenly became aware of the scraping noise behind her. Janet whirled around just in time to see a bluish, skeletal paw smack her between the eyes.

WHAM!

* * *

"You all right?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Rain nodded. "But what was all that shaking?"

"I have no idea."

The two had remained trapped in their watery prison when a sudden shaking rocked the castle. Much to their relief, the roof hadn't come down on their heads as they awaited Steve's return.

"Think bro ran into any trouble?" Rain asked with concern.

"Probably, but Steve has this thing for always getting out of the trouble he gets into." Zoe replied with a laugh. "Somehow at least…"

At that, the grunts of gears shifting echoed throughout the area as the ceiling trap slowly begun to move. It was a sluggish process with a lot of creaking and groaning, but the heavyweight steel slab rose up, allowing the two room to move.

"Hey guys!" Steve called from a newly opened corridor across the circular area. "Over here! Hurry!"

"Bro! Are we glad to see you!" Rain gasped, dashing over to the Flamedramon's position.

Steve was waving and calmly leaning against a circular valve handle. Beside him was a set of machinery connected to a computer.

"I found this thing here and figured out how to operate it." Steve winked, taking his arm off the handle. "It was as simple as…"

CRASH!

All three started as the ceiling trap hit the ground again. Fortunately, the group was already safely inside the corridor and out of its reach.

"Oops, sorry about that." Steve muttered, with a large sweatdrop on his head.

Zoe and Rain could only stare with much of the color drained from their faces.

"Hey, I got you guys out of there, didn't I?" Steve scratched his head.

"We appreciate it, although you could have warned us that you were holding the ceiling trap up with your elbow." Zoe sighed.

"Sorry, my bad. But not like I knew." Steve replied. "See, I sorta dropped my Digivice and stumbled into this cave by accident. I figured out that this was some kind of control device and when I wound the handle, that hidden door opened and I saw you two."

"A control device?" Rain wondered, looking over the machinery. "Specifically for that ceiling trap?"

"Yeah, I think that someone might have been watching us." Steve fiddled with the controls. "There's both an audio recorder and a video camera linked to this terminal too. Perhaps whoever it is who's hiding out in this castle set us up…"

"And he's right over there!" Zoe suddenly yelled, rolling forward and snatching a metal pole off the ground. The XV-mon threw it like a javelin, resulting in a loud clang as it prevented a hidden door in the adjacent wall from being closed.

"OW! Darn it!" A high-pitched voice echoed off into the distance.

"Great job Zoe." Steve grinned as the trio approached the door. "Now we can go after him!"

Zoe and Steve took hold of the pole and begun to pry the door open. Rain backed away to give the two more room.

"Did you get a look at him?" Steve asked.

"Not that well, but he seemed like a pretty small Digimon." Zoe grunted.

"Hey guys, that might not be such a good idea." Rain suddenly spoke up. "If that's the guy I think he is, then he's got all sorts of magic tricks and potions up his sleeve…"

No sooner were the word out of his jaws did a small explosion rock the area. Zoe and Steve were engulfed in a cloud of purplish smoke. Rain could make out their two shapes being sprayed with some sort of liquid before the gas hid them from view.

"Guys! Gargh!" The smell practically stung his nostrils, causing the Raindramon to start coughing. "Steve! Zoe! Are you there?"

Rain wiped his watering eyes with a paw and stared harder. The gas was beginning to clear out and Rain spotted their two limp forms lying by the stairwell.

"Guys, are you…" Rain stopped short, staring in shock. "Guys?"

* * *

**Flashback…**

"Zelia! Zack!" Siavon screamed over the din of the explosions. "Where are you two?"

_Dammit! Why did I let them go alone into the mines like that? Why did I even bring everyone to this town in the first place? I'm such a fool! _

Dozens of Digimon were scrambling to get out of the collapsing mine and Siavon seemed like the only one crazy enough to be going in. There had been a lot of tension lately between the dinosaur-types and the other Digimon in the area, but no one had expected that it would escalate into a group of separatists setting off bombs in the mines.

"Zack! Zelia!"

Siavon felt a great heave of relief as he spotted the pair, running together with the crowd. Neither seemed to be hurt badly, but he wasn't close enough to reach them with his voice yet.

Then, a part of the wall exploded, throwing Zack to the ground. Pieces of falling debris pinned him down on his back as he howled in pain. Siavon was already running as fast as he could, but Zelia was by her brother's side first and scrambled to help him.

However, her head jerked up to the sounds of weapons cocking.

And all of a sudden, bullets and energy attacks were flying everywhere. The bullets literally rained down on the pair, leaving the sibling's blood to stain the ground.

Siavon's roar of fury thundered through the rumblings of the cavern as he fell upon the attackers. He never even saw who or what they were. The BlackWargreymon never took notice of the terror on their faces as he tore them to pieces with his dramon-killing claws.

"Siavon! Siavon!" Evza's voice slowly brought him back to reality.

Siavon was involuntarily leaning against the wall and panting, covered by both bruises and the blood of his enemies.

"Take Zelia!" Siavon yelled. "And help her!"

"What about you?" Evza called as the Lilithmon scooped up Zelia's limp body in her arms.

"I'm going back for Zack! Just get out of here now!"

However, Evza hesitated and watched as Siavon dashed over to where Zack lay. Evza was shouting something lost in the din of the explosions, but Siavon never heard.

The armored black dragon never even made it to Zack, unfortunately.

A sudden explosion sent him spinning into darkness. All Siavon remembered was hitting cold water…and nothing else after that.

* * *

"Great going princess." Dynamo moaned sarcastically. "You could've gotten me outta here, but nooo…."

"Oh shut up." Janet hissed. "You're not making this any less humiliating."

Janet had awakened to find herself shrunken, stuck in clay and placed into the row of clay figurines along with Dynamo. As if to add to that insult, her Strikedramon clay figure had been placed right next to Dynamo's.

"Well, you just had to get so caught up in revenge, didn't you?" Dynamo continued. "It wasn't my fault that you got turned into a wooden puppet in the first place!"

"No, but it's your fault that I'm tiny and stuck in clay right now!" Janet snapped.

"Oh yeah? Everything's MY fault?"

"Put that aside. Did you see him?"

"Who?"

"The one who knocked me out and apparently did this to us." Janet growled.

"Hey, your body was blocking him." Dynamo replied. "And besides, you were shaking me so much that I couldn't get a good look even if I'd tried."

"Great…" Janet moaned.

"Not like that would've helped anyway. I've been screaming for help and you're all I get?" Dynamo remarked. "Man, the gods must be crazy."

"Shut up you moron!" Janet yelled. "Your voice is driving me crazy already!"

"Well if I don't keep talking, then the clay around my mouth's gonna harden. Then I won't be able to talk at all." Dynamo shot back. "So keep that in mind if you intend to scream for help."

"Hey! Whoever's playing these dirty tricks! I know you're out there! Let us out now! Or you'll be really, really sorry!"

"Oh that is so threatening. Am I supposed to be intimidated?"

"If you've got a plan, than spit it out." Janet told him.

"I was hoping you'd be the one princess. After all, you are the smart one."

"Is that meant to be an insult?" Janet struggled against the clay 'prison' to no avail.

"No, it was a compliment. Gargh!" Dynamo let off a screech as Janet's struggling shook her clay figure, knocking into Dynamo. "Hey, do that again!"

"What? This?" Janet threw her entire body weight to one side as best as she could. The motion caused her body to slam into Dynamo's, knocking him a little out of the line.

"All right, hang on! Rargh!" It was Dynamo's turn to shake his body, striking Janet's and moving her immobilized form too. "Whew! This is hard work! But if we keep at this, we can knock ourselves off the table!"

"The hardened clay would shatter, and then we could get out!" Janet realized. "Right, here I come! Yargh!"

* * *

Groaning, Sekata spat the last of the blood out of his mouth and shoved the broken debris off his body. Death-Xmon had certainly pounded him hard, and Sekata was too dazed to guess how many floors he'd broken through in his fall.

The Dorugoramon found himself lying in a wooden corridor with a large hole in its ceiling. No doubt that he was the cause of the hole in the first place.

But looking upwards, Sekata noted that he couldn't see all the way to the sky. Apparently some rubble from the floors he'd broken through had fallen and covered the holes at several levels. That could explain why Death-Xmon was slow in catching up to him.

Still, Sekata's body was aching badly all over and he knew that he was in no condition to confront Death-Xmon at the moment.

With a grunt, Sekata dug his claws into the wooden walls and agonizingly pulled himself to his feet. His eyes tried to focus as the dragon shook his head, attempting to clear out his 'double vision'. With that done, Sekata found that he was standing in a straight corridor with a single door on either end.

Hoping that he would be able to find something useful, Sekata stumbled over to the nearest door and shoved it open. He was startled to find the room full of Digimon, staring towards his position.

Initially, Sekata backed out of the room. But when none of them moved, the dragon plucked up his courage and fumbled against the wall until he found a light switch.

With light streaming into the room, Sekata realized that the place was a storeroom for rows and rows of life-sized mannequins. Several were humanoid in form, while others were dragon-like in shape, with wings and tails added on. Still others had various animal forms, although most of them were posed in upright positions.

"Whew…and these things gave me a fright…" Sekata gasped.

Suddenly, a banging sound caused him to turn around. Looking back into the corridor, Sekata saw a set of claws piercing through the other door…Death-Xmon's claws.

_I can't fight him like this! _Sekata thought, clutching his side in pain. _Got to hide out in here and stall for some time! _

Flicking off the light, Sekata bolted the door shut and dropped to all fours. Frantically, he crawled beneath the rows on mannequins in the darkness, searching for a place to hide. However, the storeroom's door soon begun shaking as Death-Xmon pounded against it from the outside.

_Could it sense my presence? How good is its hearing, or its sight in the dark? _The thoughts ran through Sekata's mind.

Completely caught up in trying to escape, Sekata somehow found himself crawling towards a terminal with several lights glowing on its screen. There, he bumped into a small creature, which promptly turned around and snarled at him.

This Digimon was Fangmon, who took on the distorted shape of a reddish-brown fox. Its entire body was wrapped in black leather, held together by a series of leather straps. Its three fingered, purple claws were left exposed, as was its red and white fox tail.

Fangmon also had an exceptionally long snout lined with rows of razor-sharp fangs. Interestingly enough, its eyes didn't have any pupils and 'glowed' with an eerie white.

Before Sekata could react, Fangmon sunk its teeth into his hand. Sekata managed to suppress his scream, but still jumped up in surprise and knocked into the terminal. The fox-like Digimon leapt up and hit something on the keyboard, causing a blinding beam of light to hit Sekata in the face.

The Dorugoramon stumbled and crashed into the nearest mannequin, resulting in a chain reaction that knocked the entire row over. Death-Xmon had broken through the door by this time and instinctively squeezed its huge mass towards the source of the noise.

Sekata, however, was in the midst of feeling his body suddenly stiffen. He hit the ground with a thud that seemed very much like wood hitting wood and lay there, unable to move. His jaws tried to open in impulse, only to find that they were stuck shut too.

As terror spread throughout his mind, Sekata realized his head was lying facing the shiny terminal casing and caught a glimpse of his reflection. The dragon would've screamed if he could.

His entire body had somehow been turned into wood. In fact, it was not unlike the mannequin he'd knocked into earlier, only that his Dorugoramon features had been imparted to the dummy. It was an exact likeness of his body, down to the wings, tail and purple-sliver coloring.

The only thing was that he couldn't move a muscle.

_What the hell? Not this again! I barely got out of the last ordeal! _

"Hehehe…" A soft snickering came from nearby as Fangmon silently snuck away into the shadows.

However, Sekata was left lying there helplessly as Death-Xmon stomped over to his position.

_No! It can't end like this! No! _His mind cried in raw panic. _Help! Please! Someone help me! _

His silent pleas were met with no reply as Death-Xmon paused over the spot where he lay. Slowly, the huge creature lowered its head and begun to sniff around the area.

_No! Get away from me! Help! Help please! _

Then, Death-Xmon lowered its head and nudged Sekata's immobile wooden body.

* * *

"Guys?" Rain gasped.

The smoke had almost cleared out and Rain could now roughly make out the shapes of Steve and Zoe. Or at least what were supposed to be their forms, though a lot smaller. In fact, they looked almost like…

"V-mon?" Rain trotted forward.

The two small Digimon lying on the ground were V-mon, a Rookie level blue dragon. They walked on two legs and had tails, but no wings. Each one also had a small horn on the nose and a yellow, V-shaped mark on their foreheads.

The hidden door had been blow to pieces, leaving yet another humanoid figure lying on the stairs. He was coughing and busy wiping the dust out of his eyes.

"Puppetmon!" Rain growled. "What did you do to them?"

"Ugh…wha…" The Puppetmon slowly got to his feet. "That spell was supposed to…never mind what it was supposed to do, but they messed it up and…"

Then, one of the V-mon, the one Rain was standing closest to, opened his eyes.

"BRO!"

"WARGH!" Rain choked as the V-mon literally jumped into his face and wrapped his hands around his neck.

"Hey, where were you bro? I missed you!" He cheered in a high-pitched voice.

"Gack! Gargh! Steve?" The Raindramon managed. "Is that you?"

"Of course is it, big bro!" The V-mon Steve winked.

"Let…go! I…can't breathe!"

"Oops!" Steve released his hold and dropped back to the ground.

"Gargh…whew…" Rain desperately tried to catch his breath, and realized that Puppetmon had disappeared. "Damn…where'd he go? So, Magnamon and the others were right! Puppetmon is hiding out in here! I've got to find him!"

"Find who?" Steve looked up with curiosity.

"That Puppetmon creep! He's the one who just shrunk you two!"

"Us?" Steve gave him a confused look. "Weren't we always like this, big bro?"

"Don't you remember?" Rain asked. "And you're the older one, not me!"

Steve looked up at him for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.

"Hahaha! You're acting weird!"

"Erm…" Rain staggered.

_Oh great! He doesn't remember a thing! And he thinks he's really a kid! _Rain moaned silently. _What am I supposed to do now? _

"Owie…" The other V-mon moaned, rolling to her feet.

"You fall Zoe?" Steve hopped over to her.

"Did not!" Zoe immediately snapped. It did seem somewhat like her voice, though with a much younger and lighter tone.

"Big bro brought us to another one of his secret hiding spots again, heh." Steve giggled.

"Huh?" Zoe glanced around in confusion. "Great! Mom's gonna get mad at me if she finds out!"

"Well she won't! Not when we have big bro here." Steve tugged Rain's leg. "Right bro?"

"Arr…well…" Rain began.

"Aw, please?"

"Well, I don't…"

"Great! Knew I could count on you big bro!" Steve hugged Rain again, almost strangling him with his hyperactive burst. "Let's check this place out Zoe!"

"If you can catch me!" Zoe laughed, dashing up the stairs.

"You won't get away!" Steve lowered his body and ran after her.

"Arrrgg…." Rain could only stand there and stare for a while, barely taking in what had just transpired.

_All right, Steve and Zoe just got shrunk into V-mon. Their memories are messed up, and they're left with the minds of 8 year olds. _Rain told himself. _Not only that, they're running freely around a haunted castle, filled with all sorts of who-knows-whats. _

"Crap!" The Raindramon slapped himself. "This is bad…very bad! Steve! Zoe! Get back here!"

Rain started up the stairs and was relieved to find the V-mon duo waiting for him at the top. Steve however, seemed to be fiddling with something on the wall. And all of a sudden, the stairs collapsed, becoming a slide instead.

"Garrgghh!" Unable to find a grip, Rain tumbled head-over-heels until he landed with a splat at the bottom. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Tag!" Steve and Zoe yelled together. "You're it! Hahahaahaha!"

Two sets of thumps sounded as their footsteps faded into the distance.

"Hey you two! Come back here!" Rain yelled. "It's not safe in here!"

However, the two were long gone before he was even on his feet.

"Man, I used to pull these kinds of gags on my older brother all the time." The Raindramon muttered. "Hey! Did you two hear me? Steve! Zoe!"

* * *

Death-Xmon tapped Sekata's body again…and again. It suddenly let off a huff and moved away, lumbering around the room and sniffing.

Sekata didn't know if his current wooden body showed any signs of breathing, but inwardly, he let off a sign of relief. Death-Xmon had been so close….and it had moved away without any explanation. The creature had seemed to be able to 'sense' him in a way, but why had it just left so suddenly?

_Unless…it can't sense me while I'm stuck like this. _Sekata thought. _That's one relief, but it doesn't exactly solve my problem right now… _

He couldn't move his head, but Sekata could still hear and feel Death-Xmon stomping about the room. It was probably trying to pick up the trail that had disappeared so suddenly.

_Looks like you've gotten your body fused with a mannequin._ AncientGreymon's voice sounded in his mind. _Now that's amusing indeed. Say, how many times have you been turned into inanimate objects?_

_As usual, you have to show up simply to mock me. _Sekata growled.

_More of to warn you really. _AncientGreymon laughed.

_And about what?_

_Whatever that fusion did seems to be rather unstable._

_Unstable?_

_As in, it won't hold._

"What do you mean by that?" Sekata snapped up.

It took him a few seconds to realize that it was his actual voice, not his thoughts that had been spoken out loud. Glancing down over himself, Sekata found his draconic Dorugoramon body was back to normal. His body still felt sore, but at least he could move again.

A shadow then fell over him and Sekata looked up just in time to see one of Death-Xmon's long arms slamming into his face. With a roar, Sekata flew and smashed into computer terminal Fangmon had used earlier.

The machine exploded in a shower of flames and sparks, leaving Sekata to roar in pain.

What was interesting, however, was that Death-Xmon gritted its fangs and hissed as well.


	45. Release

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Release**

By nightdragon0

"What's that?" Sekata opened one eye, gritting his fangs. "Death-Xmon…is it in pain?"

The explosion of the computer terminal had singed his back and wings, although not too badly. Despite the pain, Sekata was curious to know why Death-Xmon seemed to feel it as well.

_It wasn't within range of the explosion, was it? _Sekata wondered. _Or am I just imagining things? _

He didn't have much more time for thinking however as his nemesis soon lunged forward. Sekata ducked and slapped its snout aside as it came into range. Death-Xmon hissed in fury, but Sekata ducked beneath its arms and sprinted to the other side of the room.

Or at least he tried to.

"Rargh!"

Sekata felt his legs give way as he lost control of his body again.

_What? No! Not this!_

Unable to produce any more movements, he dropped to the ground amongst the pile of mannequins. To be specific, he'd changed back into one of them.

_Now this is hilarious. _AncientGreymon chuckled.

Sekata certainly didn't think so as Death-Xmon screeched to a halt. With a confused whine, it started to sniff the air around. Finding nothing in its frustration, Death-Xmon took to stomping around the room.

Although he couldn't move his head, the partially destroyed computer terminal was still within Sekata's point of view.

In its fit of rage, Death-Xmon once again smacked the machine with its tail. That caused the smoldering machine to go up in a shower of sparks and smoke.

_Wonderful! Now it's completely destroyed the machine that got me stuck like this in the first place! _Sekata thought grimly. _How am I going to find a way to reverse this process now?_

His nemesis roared and promptly went back to its routine of sniffing around the room.

_At least he can't find me while I'm stuck like this, but the problem is that I can't get away from him either. Dammit! I couldn't even move if I wanted to! _

Much to his horror, Death-Xmon's patience finally snapped. The viral creature began smashing everything in sight. That included the furniture, walls, floorboards…and the mannequins.

_Oh no…what if he breaks me to pieces while I'm in this form? What's going to happen to my real body?_

The stomping came closer and Sekata found himself roughly tossed up into the air. It was hard to contemplate much as he was thrown about several more times. Sekata landed with his face down and fortunately still in one piece.

He silently breathed a sigh of relief as Death-Xmon moved on to destroying another part of the room. However, the calm was very short-lived. Death-Xmon's hind legs came crashing down and Sekata heard the ear-splitting crunching of 'his' wooden parts.

* * *

"Rargh!"

After what seemed like hours, Janet and Dynamo had finally gotten themselves to the edge of the table.

"Whew…damn…this is hard." Dynamo panted. Or do so as much as he could being stuck in a clay figurine.

"Gasp…yeah. Trying to move in these things…really sucks." Janet huffed.

"That's something….we agree on."

At that, the two made eye contact and immediately did their best to look away.

"Arrr…forget it." Dynamo muttered. "Just knock me off and let's get this over with."

"Wait, why do I have to knock you off first?" Janet snapped up.

"What?"

"Just what are you going to do once you're free? Leave me to rot here with all these other empty chess pieces?"

"At least they make better conversation than you." Dynamo said under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Erm, I mean, hey princess…I promise I'll get you out too."

"Oh, I'm not falling for any tricks of yours!" Janet growled. "You break me out first!"

"Nah ar! You could abandon me just as easily as…" Dynamo began. "Erm…oops!"

"As easily as I could you?" Janet finished the sentence. "Sweet."

"Hey! We're not gonna get anywhere if none of us are gonna move!" Dynamo protested.

"So we're not."

"I don't wanna be stuck here forever!"

"Now you know what I went through." Janet snarled. "So don't get all whiney on me!"

"Whiney? Hey! Do you know who you're talking to princess?" Dynamo quipped.

"An idiot?"

"Yes! No! I mean no!"

Janet burst out laughing at Dynamo's slip up, causing the Guilmon's face to go redder than usual. Of course, neither of them could see it beneath his clay covering.

In a moment of fury, Dynamo threw his body at Janet's with all his might. The impact sent Janet's clay-covered form toppling off the table. And his went so far that it wasn't able to balance, resulting in Dynamo going over the edge too.

Involuntarily letting off screams, the two crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust.

"Gargh! Hack! Hack!" Janet choked. "I…huh?"

The Strikedramon had just realized that Dynamo was not only lying on top of her….but that they were snout to snout as well.

"RRRRAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!"

WHAM!

"Gawrk!" Dynamo rolled off with his eyes wide and his claws held over his groin. "I'm gonna be impotent after this."

"Pah!" Janet spat. "Man, I seriously need to wash my mouth after this."

She pulled herself into a sitting position, stretching her cramped arms, legs and tail. It wasn't as bad as getting her body back after being a puppet, but it was still a great feeling of relief being able to move again. Her normally purple scales were still covered by bits of clay and brownish stains however, and Janet worked vigorously to dust herself off.

"Hey, I'm not that bad of a romantic, am I?" Dynamo smirked, dusting himself off as well. "I'm always up for an encore."

SLAP!

"OW! Wargh!" Dynamo stumbled backwards and fell into a small hole that went up to his waist level.

"Huh?" Janet stared, taking note of the surroundings for the first time. "That isn't a hole, it's a crack in the floor!"

Glancing around the area, she realized that everything seemed humongous. That huge wooden 'pillar' next to her was actually the table leg.

"Aw crap!" Dynamo gasped. "We're still tiny!"

"This is pathetic." Janet sighed. "How are we supposed to get around now?"

The ground suddenly begun shaking, throwing the two to the ground. As quickly as it started however, the rumbling stopped.

_Another one?_ Janet wondered. Then, the Strikedramon looked up as huge shadow fell over them.

"Going somewhere?" A thunderous voice hissed.

It was an undead-type, Ultimate level beast that took the form of a skeletal tiger. Bluish, bone-like skin covered its entire body, leaving some strange black fluid visible between the joints. It had a row of spikes running down its back, and a pair of skeletal wings on its back.

The eyes of this Digimon shimmered with an eerie reddish glow, easily enough to send chills up anyone's spine.

The tiger, Skull Barukimon, walked forward, shaking the ground with every step.

"Oh crap!" Dynamo stared. "This is NOT good!"

"Run for it!" Janet yelled.

The pair ran….and smacked into each other, sending both to the floor in a daze. Skull Barukimon was upon them before either could recover, and took hold of the 10 centimeter tall Digimon in one of his front paws.

"Hehehe…" The tiger snickered, his hot breath blowing against their faces.

Janet and Dynamo looked towards each other, then gulped hard.

* * *

Sekata immediately knew from the sound that the damage was bad. He bared himself for the pain he knew was to come, but felt nothing for the moment. He was still in the mannequin's wooden body, which pretty much eliminated any pain or sensation that his physical body might've felt.

Mentally however, Sekata's mind was in a state of panic.

Death-Xmon roared and whipped its tail about, sending Sekata's body flying into the wall. Next thing he knew, the dragon found himself rolling about in agony. The feelings in his body were back…and so was the pain.

Howling, his right hand instinctively reached over to the aching sections of his chest. From the stabbing pain he felt, several of his ribs were probably broken. His entire left arm was missing, and so was his right leg from the knee downwards.

The bones in his remaining left leg and tail were definitely broken too and his leathery wings were still in shreds.

The pain was so extreme that Sekata went into a coughing fit, vomiting out blood from his mouth that mingled with the blood dripping from his severed limbs.

Death-Xmon was instantly alerted to his sudden 're-appearance' and turned its body with a gleeful snarl. Sekata tried moving his battered body, but the combination of pain, fear and shock kept him immobilized.

His pursuer was almost upon him when Death-Xmon abruptly smacked into a semi-translucent wall, which flickered into existence.

"What?" Sekata whispered, glancing around.

The Dorugoramon then noticed a rectangular card on the ground. The surface of the card was red and marked with the symbol of the yin and yang.

"Could it be?"

There was only one Digimon Sekata knew of that used these things.

Death-Xmon started snarling and pounding on the wall. However, a second card landed by its feet. This one exploded into a huge cloud of gray smoke, completely blocking out Sekata's vision.

A pair of furred hands then reached out and took hold of Sekata's shoulders. The wounded purple dragon didn't resist. Whoever it was had to be better than staying around Death-Xmon.

* * *

"Gargh! Argh!" Aero sprang up, promptly knocking his head on the nearby chair. "Ow! Crap!"

It was already dark and moonlight was streaming into the room. Glancing around, Aero realized that he was now alone.

"Siavon's memories...no Evza's…." He panted. "It felt so real. Like I was…really there…"

He had trouble breathing for the first few minutes and went blue in the face as he tried to catch his breath. Well, Aero imagined that his face was more blue that usual.

Evza was obviously long gone and Aero's claws went to his neck to find the crystal still hanging there. The Aero V-dramon didn't know if he felt more relieved or burdened that it was there.

Once he felt well enough, Aero pushed himself up and peered out the door. As expected, the sky was dotted with stars, creating various sparkles against a black background. His gaze fell upon the area's most prominent feature, the old castle, just as a figure moved around its exterior.

Aero gasped as he spotted the eerie-looking Death-Xmon hovering around before breaking through one of the walls and vanishing into the castle. His Digivice then beeped and Aero realized that the signals of his friends were coming from within the castle.

"Whatever that creature was, I've got a very bad feeling about it." Aero muttered out loud.

"Aeromaru…" The voice was so soft that the blue dragon nearly passed it off as the wind.

"Huh?" Aero gasped. "That sounded almost like…"

He felt the crystal around his neck glowing again and curiously placed both palms against it. Aero blinked as he was drawn into a bright flash of white light.

When he opened his eyes, Aero found himself standing in a white void. However, there was another figure there with him.

"Siavon?" Aero walked over to the BlackWargreymon, who had his back turned. His hand passed right through Siavon's image, but caused the armored dragon to move his head.

"Thank you." Siavon said softly.

Startled, Aero jumped a step backwards.

"You can relax, it is really me." Siavon spun to face him. "I believe that the crystal linked a part of my mind to it, just before I was turned to stone."

"So, it really was you in those memories." Aero regained his composure. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"Reliving those memories must've been painful. You had things going nicely for yourself." Aero hung his head. "Then it all went crashing down."

"Life is made up of both joy and hardships." Siavon replied. "But that's what makes us who we are. Because the world is not perfect, and thus we are forced to face these challenges with each passing day."

"Yeah, you're right." Aero nodded. "Never knew that you thought so deeply about things."

"I've had a lot of time, as you probably know. Anyway, there is something I need to tell you too." Siavon folded his arms. "It's about a weapon I was researching before I came to rescue you in the ancient city."

"A weapon?"

"Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken." (Ultimate War Blade King Dragon Sword.)

"That…that was the weapon of the legendary Royal Knight, Alphamon!"

"The katana I gave to Janet, Steve's Wargreymon claws, Zoe's Positron Laser and Sekata's Ryuukonken all carry similar energy signatures." Siavon explained. "With the binding component, any four weapons bearing this particular energy could be combined into the Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken."

"You're telling me this because…"

"You might require its power shortly."

"That creature…" Aero gasped. "Where is the binding component then?"

"Somewhere in that castle, from what I've managed to find out. But I know nothing more."

"Then how am I supposed to find it? I don't even know what it looks like!"

"You'll know." Siavon closed his eyes. "Your heart will guide you."

With that, he turned and begun to walk away.

"Wait!" Aero shouted. "Is there a way we can free you from the petrifaction?"

"You don't need to." Siavon replied. "I believe that my time's already past."

"Siavon…"

"It was a great relief however, to share my memories with someone. No matter how fragmented they were." Siavon glanced upwards, towards the 'sky'. "I have to thank you too…for my name."

"Your name?" Aero wondered. "Wasn't that something you thought of?"

"No, it was you." Siavon paused for a while. "If you encounter Evza again…it's up to your own discretion about what to do."

"You…you're…really going?" Aero held out a claw.

"Don't get all teary on me. You know I hate mushiness." Siavon growled. Then his face turned into a smirk. "Say hi to Steve for me."

Slowly, Siavon's form begun to grow fainter and fainter, until he eventually vanished. In the blink of an eye, Aero found himself once again standing alone in the hut.

"Siavon…" Aero clutched the crystal with a new resolve. "This one's for you!"

* * *

"RRROOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Sekata felt the pain subside, but continued letting out his agony in the form of a roar. Finding his throat sore after a while, Sekata leaned back against the wall and glanced up to the figure standing over him.

"Thank you, Antiramon." He muttered. "But what are you doing here? And why did you save me?"

"I have a debt I owe to your comrade Steve, and all of you in turn." The former Deva replied.

Antiramon was a tall, humanoid rabbit that stood upright. She had a rabbit face and a pair of long bunny ears hanging by her sides. Her arms were long and fingers large, but this didn't hinder her when using her cards, a form of spiritual energy she manipulated.

She was covered in a coat of soft, brown fur and wore a Chinese style purple and white outfit. Sekata felt that from the soft, controlled grip as she placed her hands on his shoulders again.

A soft, relaxing blue light shrouded the two, giving Sekata a great relief from the pain.

"I didn't know your magic could heal too." Sekata remarked.

"In truth, I am not using much of my magic at all. Instead, I am enhancing your body's natural healing capabilities." She told him. "And yours seem to be quite remarkable indeed."

"Partially, it's thanks to him." Sekata whispered.

Most of his injuries had disappeared, but there was nothing either of them could do about his two severed limbs. Sekata was certain that, like before, they would reattach themselves upon contact. That was provided that he could actually find them in the mess of that mannequin room.

"Have you seen any of my friends?" Sekata queried. "I'm sure they're somewhere in the castle."

"Unfortunately, no." Antiramon replied. "This place is still a maze to myself, even though I've been here before."

"What is this place anyway?"

"My former masters used to come here frequently and deal with a magician known as Puppetmon. I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Yes." Sekata gritted his fangs, bitter memories coming to mind.

"Your friends have apparently chased Puppetmon down here, but have unfortunately run into trouble. I'm afraid that I arrived too late to deliver any warning."

"They'll have more than just Puppetmon to worry about now that Death-Xmon is wandering about the castle."

"This castle is inhabited by other vengeful presences too." Antiramon warned. "You saw Fangmon, the fox that merged your body with the mannequin. He's just one of the wanderers who dwell here, always on the lookout for unwary adventurers."

"Grrr…" Sekata hissed furiously. "I'm so angry that I can't do anything about…huh?"

The dragon blinked as Antiramon touched one of her cards to his forehead. The red card flickered and begun glowing with a purple light, similar to his own scale color.

"This card had now copied your body's energy signature." Antiramon explained. "If what you've spoken to me about Death-Xmon is true, then I should be able to confuse it by making several copies of these cards."

"I sincerely appreciate the help. But I don't want to be waiting around here while that creature is running loose!"

"You won't be able to do much until the mannequin curse placed upon you is lifted."

"I know! But still…"

"I understand." Antiramon nodded. "I knew that you would feel this way. That is why I brought you here, to this basement level room."

With that, she reached up with a finger and flicked the light switch to its 'on' position.

* * *

"Man where are those two?" Rain panted, leaning the side of his quadruped body against the wall. "How come I don't have this much energy? Whew…why me?"

The Raindramon had spent the last 20 minutes running after the V-mon kids and already he was completely worn out. There was no one else to hear his moaning as the sweat trickled down his face and onto the stony floors of the corridor.

_I should've done more to help them back then, not just stand there! _Rain berated himself. _I'm fast enough! I could've gotten to Zoe or Steve in time to knock them out of that smoke cloud! Then it would be me in the situation, not them! Ooohhh! _

In a way, this was why he always liked being the younger brother. His older brother had always been there to guide him, and Rain seldom needed to worry about making a decision.

_Now I'm the older brother…_He thought glumly. _Normally I'd be the one innocently reeking havoc. Man, what am I thinking? I shouldn't be wishing to be in their position! I'm lucky I wasn't affected, and I'm the only one who can find a way to help Steve and Zoe right now! _

"Yeah, that's right." Rain said to himself. "I can do this…"

BUMP!

The four-legged dragon suddenly felt some weight on his back as a pair of hands covered his eyes.

"Wheee!" A couple of child-like voices sounded. "Ponymon ride! Horsemon ride!"

"GGARRRGHH!" Rain panicked, dashing about blindly. "Get off me you two! Hey!"

In his wild dash, the Raindramon accidentally smashed through a door and stepped onto a wooden platform. He felt it sink with a click and found his four limbs suddenly clamped down to the floor by metal bindings.

"Hey! What the?" He gasped as Steve uncovered his eyes.

Rain found that he had stumbled onto a device that had just clamped his four legs to it. Furiously, he cranked his neck and begun gnawing as the bindings as best as he could. However, the surprise wasn't over yet as the mechanism clicked, causing the platform to spring up.

Wheels were apparently fixed beneath his platform as Rain felt himself beginning to roll to the side. He was abruptly stopped and found Steve and Zoe pushing him from behind.

"That looks like fun big bro!" Steve laughed.

"No! Hey! What are you doing?" Rain cried as the pair spun him around. "Wargh! Get me off this thing! Damn! I feel like a rocking horse!"

The V-mon duo suddenly started pushing him backwards and Rain stretched his neck forward, finding the pair just out of reach.

"Over there!" Zoe pointed.

"Yeah, cool rollercoaster!" Steve agreed.

"Erm…rollercoaster?" Rain turned his head. Much to his horror, Rain saw that he was being pushed towards an opening in the wall, probably an air vent or a dust chute. Neither one sounded very promising however.

"No! Not down there!" Rain wailed.

"Hehehe!"

"NNNOOOOOOOOOO!" Despite Rain's protests, his 'siblings' spun him to face forward before jumping onto his back.

The Raindramon, strapped to the wheeled platform, and his two passengers, went plunging down into the shaft.

* * *

"This is…" Sekata stared, taking notice of the surroundings for the first time.

What it seemed like was a huge laboratory, with sets of machinery and odd-looking devices lining every wall. Several platforms at the far end of the room also became illuminated.

Displayed on them were various weapons, guns and even mechanical limbs.

"These cybernetic enhancements were often sold to the highest bidders." Antiramon continued.

"So you wanted to let me use some of those until I get myself back into shape." Sekata whistled. "But even with those enhancements, I don't think they can lift the curse."

"There is another option if you so desire." Antiramon gestured.

Sekata then tilted his gaze towards the last of the lit platforms, and gasped.

Standing on it was a fully constructed mechanical dragon. It was roughly shaped like a T-Rex, except it was painted in red with silver sections. The machine had a huge powerful tail, a pair of three-fingered upper limbs and a pair of cannons mounted to either shoulder.

It would seem very much like Machinedramon at a glance, but Sekata knew better.

"Chaosdramon?" He stared.

"An ancient weapon that the Devas recovered long ago." Antiramon gestured. "It was supposed to be a vessel for an artificially created soul. However, the experiment failed and it was left as it is."

"I don't understand how this is supposed to help me."

"What I can do is bind your soul to the machine temporarily. Chaosdramon will become your body and you'll be able to fight."

"Isn't this something like what Makuramon did to us before?" Sekata eyed her suspiciously.

"Indeed. However, the success of my spell depends solely on the strength of the caster and the will of the subject."

"So, the spell basically won't work if I'm not willing?"

"Yes. But should any of us waiver in our focus, your soul could be completely lost in the void. My chi energy could also be completely drained out, more than enough to kill me."

"You're taking a great risk at this." Sekata said softly.

"I owe this debut to your group." Antiramon insisted. "Let this serve as my redemption."

The determined look on her face told Sekata that she was serious.

Sekata considered his options too. Of Zoe, Steve and the others, of his newfound nemesis, and his major disadvantage.

Clenching the fist he had left, the dragon felt a prang of weakness running through his body. To be free of that weakness, just for a while…

He looked up into the cold, emotionless stare of Chaosdramon. There was only one choice he could make.

"All right, let's do this."

* * *

"Bbaarrrggghhh!"

Rain shook the bitter taste out of his mouth and turned away from the pile of vomit he'd just puked out.

"I never….ever…want to do that again!"

The 'ride' down the dust chute had finally ended with the platform crashing somewhere on the lower levels. Rain was still in a daze, but at least he'd gotten free from the bindings.

He was now in what seemed to be a slightly chilled food cellar. Boxes, crates and nylon sacks were stacked up high. The V-mon kids had happily run off in the midst of his motion sickness and Rain was now faced with the arduous task of finding them again.

"Steve! Zoe!" Rain called. "Ok, fun's over! Come nicely back to big brother now, ok?"

His calls were met with silence and the Raindramon took a few steps before placing a foot on a slippery puddle of cooking oil.

There was no time to react and Rain went skidding across the room, smashing into a stack of flour. The result was a Raindramon completely covered in the white powder.

At that, a couple of voices burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! This is even funnier than the time you got your face into that birthday cake!" Steve laughed.

"Oh yeah! Oh yea!" Zoe jumped up and down. "I remember that one!"

"Oooh! Now I'm mad!" Rain jumped out of the pile and lunged for the two.

Unfortunately, he stumbled on an aluminum can and went crashing into a nearby shelf. With a long, loud creak, the old shelf threatened to topple over.

"Oh no!" Rain got up on two legs and shoved his front paws against the shelf in an attempt to prevent it from falling over.

Last thing he needed was for his charges to get hurt.

However, the V-mon kids had other ideas in mind.

"Watcha doing?" Steve picked up a thin bamboo pole and poked Rain's exposed belly with it.

"No! Don't do that!" Rain cried. "I'm ticklish there…waaahhh! Hahah! Heeheheehe…"

"Poke! Poke! Poke!" Steve giggled.

CRASH!

Unable to balance properly, the entire shelf came down, squashing Rain beneath. The lightning elemental dragon was able to pull himself out, but not before being covered by the contents of the shelf…tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.

All that, together with the flour, created a very odd taste in the Raindramon's mouth. Laughing hysterically, the V-mon kids dashed to the corner of the room…where an elevator was located.

"Hey! Get back here!" Rain ordered.

The kids simply continued giggling as the lift doors slammed shut.

"Nooooo…" Rain let off a long moan.

Slamming on the elevator buttons produced no immediate solution, leaving him with only one other option. And that was to take the stairs.

"Is being a big brother always this hard?"

* * *

Pain…

For those moments, it completely dominated Sekata's world. Antiramon had warned him of it earlier, but nothing could've prepared Sekata for what he was currently feeling.

Antiramon was standing outside the circle of cards she'd made and chanting, while Sekata lay within…next to the towering form of Chaosdramon.

The battered Dorugoramon had to focus his mind both on his memories, and on the body of Chaosdramon. Not an easy task with all the pain, plus every instinct in his body screaming against it.

The past and present all seemed to flash before his eyes. The first time he'd come to the Digital World. Meeting Zoe and the others. The battles fought, won and lost.

But the pain was just so intense.

_Zoe…there's so much…I've wanted to say to you…_His mind howled. _But I…but…I…No…I can't let go now! I have to get through…even if it's…just to tell you that…_

All of a sudden, the pain stopped and his senses dimmed into blackness, leaving Sekata within the dark void of his mind.

_Am I dead? No, I don't think death feels this way._

A series of green zeros and ones flashed before his vision, followed by Digital Code and a sequence of system messages.

The, 'his' eyes opened.

Like viewing through a video camera, the world seemed rather blurred at first. However, the view quickly adapted itself so that he saw the laboratory he remembered being in. And the first thing Sekata saw was himself, or rather his Dorugoramon body.

_Has it worked then? _

Sekata motioned for his mind to move a hand. And a mechanical hum sounded as a claw moved into view…a red, metallic one.

Slowly, he tested his limbs. Snapping his jaws, flexing his fingers and finally shifting his legs to step off the platform. Everything seemed very stiff.

"Sekata?" Antiramon moved into view. "Can you hear me?"

The dragon managed to make a nod.

"How are you feeling?"

Sekata almost dreaded to try his voice, but he knew he had to get it over and done with.

"I'm fine…I suppose." His voice was similar to normal, although it had a mechanical tone to it.

"That's good to hear." Antiramon walked over and placed a card inside of his open jaws.

"What was that?" Sekata queried.

"The binding symbol. You can feel it on the upper part of the inside of your mouth."

Sekata raised one of his three-fingered claws and felt the strange symbol on the place Antiramon had just touched.

"Be careful and don't scratch it." Antiramon warned. "That binding circle is what links your soul to the machine."

"Then if something happens to it…"

"Your soul will lose contact, and even I won't be able to predict where it could end up. So protect the mark well." Antiramon wiped her brow, before dropping to a sitting position on the floor. "Whew…that was taxing, but not as bad as I expected it to be. You're definitely a strong-willed individual."

"I hate to interrupt your rest, but what do I do about my body?" Sekata looked down at his Dorugoramon self. "Won't Death-Xmon still come after it?"

Antiramon responded by pulling his Dorugoramon body over to an empty glass cylinder. She placed his body within and activated the control to seal the cylinder, before touching a card to its surface.

A greenish light shimmered and Antiramon nodded firmly.

"That should be enough to deter your nemesis." She explained. "If you want to go back to your own body, make contact with it and focus on who you are."

"With all that settled, I'm ready to take Death-X on!" Sekata snarled, clenching his fists.

When he'd first become Dorugoramon, Sekata had felt a huge burst of energy pushing himself up to levels he'd never though possible before. Now, it was almost happening all over again, except that it was a different kind of energy he felt.

_A kind of raw, solid power…_

"Don't get too hasty." Antiramon interrupted his thoughts. "You may not know the full extent of its powers yet, but at least you'll be able to defend yourself if he appears."

Antiramon suddenly leaned against the wall and clutched her side.

"Are you all right?" Sekata gasped.

"I'll be fine, but I'll need to place those cards with your energy signature around the castle. These will help to deter Death-Xmon." Antiramon got up and pulled open the door.

"What am I supposed to do then?"

"Look for your friends and find a way to destroy Death-Xmon." Antiramon called as she disappeared through the doorway. "I believe in your abilities to do that."

"So, once again it falls upon us." Sekata said softly.

A buzz of static had his hands instinctively covering his ears. However, Sekata soon realized that the sensors built into his head were picking up a transmission.

"Anyone? Zoe? Steve? Jan? Please respond!" Came Aero's voice from the other end, and he sounded very worried.

It was an odd feeling, but all Sekata had to do was think to make his own transmission intercept Aero's.

"Aero, it's me Sekata!"

"Sekata? Is that really you?" Aero gasped.

"You can track my D-Dragon's signal right?" Sekata queried, noting that his D-Dragon was still attached to his actual body's wrist. With the claws in his current form, he wouldn't be able to handle the delicate device properly, but the least he could do was stand close to it.

"Yeah, but…" Aero paused. "Are you back to normal?"

"Sort of." Sekata admitted. "But a lot of things have happened and I need to bring you up to date."

"Funny, so do I."

"Well, who wants to go first then?"

* * *

"This is just great!" Dynamo screeched. "We're not just back to where we started, but we're even worst off now!"

"Don't you think that's bloody obvious?" Janet yelled back.

"Well, I've nothing better to do, so I'm saying it anyway!"

"Oh shut up!"

They had spent the last few minutes busy barking at one another in the darkness of the box they'd been stuffed into. It didn't help much that they'd both been stuck back in clay, which left them completely unable to move.

"What do you think that crazy cat wants with us?" Janet eventually muttered, referring to Skull Barukimon.

"Probably just another of those insane ones." Dynamo replied with a sigh. "Haha, that's funny."

"What?"

"It's about 'us' now. Hasn't been that way for a while." Dynamo paused. "You know, back then when we infiltrated that old Deva base, you remember?"

"Yeah, of course I remember." Janet snapped. "I was still a Guilmon then!"

"Erm, yea I didn't really mean for you to change forms so drastically like that."

"Ooh, sure you didn't." Janet growled sarcastically. "Strikedramon is a nice dragon to be, but I haven't forgotten that you were the cause of it in the first place!"

"Well, I…"

"You know, that's why I didn't let it out of the bag at first. And that left you wondering if I'd really survived or not, am I right?"

"Hey princess, I admit you had me fooled, but…"

"And you should also know that I meant to throw it in your face as a big revenge surprise too!" Janet fumed. "You're lucky that I was denied my chance!"

"Yo princess! I get the idea!" Dynamo barked. "But who do you think it was that gave your buddies the information they needed to break you out of Megidramon?"

"Huh?"

"It was me! That's who!"

Janet fell into silence for almost a full minute, in which Dynamo's heart was left pounding wildly.

_All right, I admitted it! _He thought. _I know the Megidramon thing was a bit overboard princess, but that's why I tried to make amends, and…_

"Hahahahahahah!" Janet burst out laughing. "Now that's a really good one!"

"You believe me?" Dynamo piped up.

"Sure, I always take to believing your lies, stupid!" Janet's tone of voice was not a happy one. "I was only laughing because I never expected you to be smart enough to say something like that!"

"B…b…bu….but…"

_I really did help! That's probably one of the most decent things I've ever done and…_

Suddenly, light streamed into the box as its lid was thrown open, temporarily blinding the two. However, it was quite easy to hear the high-pitched, booming voices.

"Hey lookie! New playthings!" A male V-mon face stared into the box.

"Yeah, this place is great!" He was joined by a second V-mon, a female.

"Oh crap…" Janet moaned. "I'm not going to like this!"

The next instant, a huge pair of blue hands reached out and snatched the two clay figures out of the box.

* * *

Aero stood poised on the mechanical dragon's back, with his trembling claws grasped around the back of its neck.

"Aero, are you still there?" The voice asked. "Can you please let me up now?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry Sekata." Aero jumped back to the ground, allowing the Chaosdramon to straighten up from his hunched position.

The Aero V-dramon had found it hard to believe Sekata's story, until Sekata proposed that they meet up inside the castle's second story main corridor.

That was something Aero hadn't really been prepared for, and seeing the huge mechanical dragon lumbering into the passageway had caused him to go into battle mode.

Although his opponent didn't fight back, Aero had to be absolutely sure and proceeded to grill him with a series of personal questions. The result, though giving him quite a surprise, left him with no doubt that it was the real Sekata in his right mind.

"Have you been able to trace the others?" Sekata continued on to ask. "I left my D-Dragon behind, well on my other body."

"I've got your signal recorded down, but Janet's is too weak to trace." Aero reported. "However, Steve's and Zoe's seemed to have vanished.

"Vanished?"

"Yes, almost like they're…"

"Wheeee! Sorry mister! Just passing through!" A child's voice was accompanied by the stomping on Aero's toes.

"Yargh!" Aero jumped up on his right foot, clutching his left one in pain.

"Sorry! Coming through!" A second voice called.

This time, the small shape slammed into Aero's shin in the midst of its run. The blue dragon hit the ground hard, and opened his eyes just in time to see a couple of V-mon disappearing around the corridor.

"Who the heck were…" Aero started.

"Hey! Stop you two!" Rain came charging around the corner, trotting hastily over Aero's tail and wings. "Whoa! You're…"

The blue dragon involuntarily jumped up with a yell of pain, sending Rain's body flying…right into the metal legs of Sekata.

WHAM!

"Hmmm?" Sekata glanced down to see the Raindramon pressed flat against his right leg.

The mechanical dragon proceeded to peel him off and let him down to the ground as gently as he could. Sekata's motions were relatively rough and Rain slipped a little too fast.

Rain stomped on a clay piece one of the V-mon had dropped, shattering it was a loud smash. A rather 'tiny' shout followed next, which had the entire ground glancing around in confusion.

"Dammit! Watch where you're stepping! You could've killed me!"

"That voice…" Aero stuttered as the whole group looked down.

"Yes guys! It's me!" A tiny Strikedramon was frantically jumping up and waving her arms.

"Ouch…" Rain moaned, rubbing his snout with a paw. "Hey Aero, so you're here after all! And who's this mechanical guy?"

"I think we have a lot more explaining to do." Sekata sighed.

* * *

"So how do we fix this?" Rain panted as he ran alongside Sekata's Chaosdramon form.

Aero had insisted on going after Antiramon, leaving Sekata, Rain and a miniaturized Janet to search for the V-mon kids. And the trio was now running along the corridor where they'd last seen their currently V-mon companions.

"Well, as I see it we have several options." Janet called from her perch atop Sekata's head. "Just let them grow up the old fashioned way, hey tone down on the death glares! Find a mystic reverse fountain of youth. Find a time space warp that speeds up aging. Find Puppetmon and have him come up with a cure. Of course, since you say he mentioned it was a goof up the first place, if we tried this again they might end up Digi-eggs or a few thousand year old mega Digimon two breaths away from their last one."

"Magic is an art, not a precise science after all." Sekata nodded. "But I don't see how any of those options are supposed to be practical."

"Will you shut up and hope?"

"Erm…"

"Forget it! It's just something called sarcasm." Janet snapped. "Is being in a machine getting to your head Sekata?"

"Grrr…" Sekata let off an annoyed snarl.

"I'm sorry." Janet patted his head. "But I'm in a very bad mood right now."

"To tell you the truth, I'm probably worse off." Sekata said softly. He not only had Death-Xmon and his own Dorugoramon body to worry about, but now Zoe and Steve as well. And he hadn't forgotten about Cimons either.

"Where did their D-Dragons go?" Janet queried, interrupting his thoughts.

"I think they vanished…" Rain muttered, closing his eyes and thinking. "I don't remember seeing the D-Dragons after they turned into kids."

"Dammit . . . maybe those could've worked." Janet sighed.

"Wouldn't they just revert back to the way they are now once their power burns out?" Sekata spoke up.

"It's better than having them stuck as kids twenty four seven." Rain commented. "Although…they don't seem to mind."

"I've lost count of how many people want us dead!" Janet yelled. "Do you think they're going to hesitate to kill Steve and Zoe just because they look cuter right now?"

"Er, good point." Rain used one of his paws to scratch his head. "But you guys can't stay powered up forever, can you?"

"They'd at least be in their right minds and able to defend themselves in the meantime." Sekata replied. "Besides, remember when Janet was Megidramon? Or when we were toys? Or when Zoe and I were turned into playing cards in that VR world? Or when Steve was under mind control? We got out of those."

"And don't forget how we all got stuck as Digimon." Janet added in. "Oh hey, that's still going on!"

"Now, wouldn't that crack be one of Steve's lines?" Sekata rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but from what I see, I think that he's more interested in drawing on your Digimon Cards right now. So, I figured I'd speak his piece."

"He's what?"

"V-mon alert." Janet simply pointed to the room ahead of the group.


	46. Heart of the Machine

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Heart of the Machine**

By nightdragon0

"Gargh! Those were ultimate rare cards!" Sekata fumed. "I swear….I'm gonna kill him!"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! It's best not to go storming in there." Rain cautioned, stepping in front of Sekata. "They're just kids right now. You might scare them to death or something!"

"Grrrr…."

"Think of some happy thoughts!" Rain jumped up on his hind legs and shoved his front paws against Sekata's body, although didn't do much good anyway.

Sekata began walking forward, dragging Rain along with him.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about how they got the cards in the first place?" Janet interrupted.

"I know how they got them! This is the room where I left my other body, and the cards were in the belt. So that means that…"

The party was standing in the corridor, peering into the adjacent room that had its door open. The V-mon kids were both inside, and for once sitting down. They'd apparently been worn out from all the running around, but Steve was still busy scribbling on the cards with a pen whilst Zoe was swinging a small object around.

Of course, they were completely ignorant of all the equipment and machinery lying around the laboratory area.

The cylinder Sekata's Dorugoramon body had been placed into was now open, with a wooden Dorugoramon mannequin lying on the ground nearby. From the outside, it looked relatively unscratched, though it was still missing an arm and a leg.

_Damn, my real body's still under that curse and shifting between those two forms. _Sekata thought.

"You guys have any suggestions about what we can do about them?" Rain asked. "From experience, I know that they're just gonna get up and start running if I approach."

"Could we leave them, just for a while?" Janet suddenly grinned.

"Why?" Rain looked up. "What's so funny?"

"Well, Zoe's holding Dynamo in her hands and shaking him up really badly." Janet pointed. "I wanna let him get a taste of the small life."

"This is related to that thing going on between you and him, am I right?" Sekata sighed.

"Hey, it's my pride and honor at his humiliation!" The Strikedramon snapped.

The V-mon Zoe was meanwhile swinging Dynamo's miniaturized form around, oblivious to the little cries the clay covered Guilmon was making.

"Waaagghh! Help! Please somebody help me!" Dynamo was screeching wildly. "Hey! Over there! Help!"

Dynamo had been referring to Sekata and his group, which caused the kids to turn and see them.

"Erm, hey guys." Rain waved, trying to hide his nervousness. "We…"

"Whoa! Bro! This guy is way cool!" Steve leapt up with glee. Together with Zoe, he dashed over to Sekata's side. "Is he your friend too?"

Sekata was too distracted by the sight of the kids jumping around his legs, so Rain stepped forward. The lightning dragon had just gotten an idea, hoping that he could stir Steve's and Zoe's memories somehow.

"You two should know him." Rain gestured with his head. "He's Sekata. And the small one on top of his head is Janet."

"Rain, I'm gonna kill you after this." Janet hissed furiously.

The V-mon kids looked at each other and scratched their heads.

"Don't you remember?" Rain asked again.

"But Sekata is a Monodramon." Steve replied.

"And Janet's a Guilmon." Zoe added in.

Both Sekata and Janet stood, dumbfounded for a few moments. It had taken them those seconds to realize that the V-mon kids were referring to their original forms when they had first come to this world. Or at least in Sekata's case, the Rookie of his original form.

"Could you excuse us for a second?" Sekata moved away without waiting for a reply.

"This is too weird." Janet whispered as the Chaosdramon walked. "Rain told us that their memories seemed messed up, but I didn't think it was something at this rate!"

"They 'remember' our Rookie forms, almost as if they knew us as children." Sekata muttered. "Doesn't it sound familiar?"

"As in?"

"Notice any similarities to your previous lives in the human world?"

"Well, I've known Zoe since we were pretty young. And Steve moved to my city not too long after." Janet noted. "But you? You're from Japan right? That's the other side of the world!"

"Actually, I lived in America for about two or three years when I was younger." Sekata admitted. "That's where I learnt to speak English so well."

"What? And you've neglected to tell us this for **how** long?"

"I didn't think it was important. But now I'm wondering if there was a point in time where we could've been in the same school, or even the same class." Sekata closed his eyes. "My parents moved around a lot while we were in America, and I didn't really get to know anybody as a result of that."

"Well, I don't remember most of my classmates from when I was below eight years old either." Janet nodded. "So what are you getting at?"

"Listen, the four of us know that we were just thrown into this new world, like this right?" Sekata said, snapping his fingers. "But why? What if there's more to it than just that?"

"And you're saying…"

"What I think is…" Sekata suddenly stopped short. "Wait! Look there!"

A couple of shadowy forms were lurking about the dark corners of the room. And headed for the rest of their unwary companions.

* * *

"Aw no!" Janet stared. "That's Skull Barukimon!"

"And Fangmon." Sekata added in. "Rain! Over there!"

Suddenly, the two dark Digimon jumped out of the shadows and lunged straight for the kids. Sekata found his mechanical body too slow to react to the screams. However, Rain was across the room in the blink of an eye.

"Guys watch out!" He shouted. "RRARRGGHH!"

The tiger and fox immediately turned their fury onto Rain, biting and slashing away with their fangs and claws. The attacks threw Rain into the wall with a scarred belly and bleeding shoulders.

"Bro! NO!" Steve stared in shock.

The child-like look faded from his face as he charged towards Rain's attackers, only to be swatted away by Skull Barukimon.

With a roar, Sekata moved in and attacked by slamming a huge claw down, only to have Fangmon leap away. Turning his head, Sekata saw Zoe screaming as Skull Barukimon prepared for another strike. He blocked the tiger with his arm, leaving several long gashes as Skull Barukimon's claws tore through the outer metal casing.

System messages popped up, alerting him to the damage, but Sekata felt no pain. In fact, it only served to make him very, very angry.

Skull Barukimon was still clinging onto his body and clawing away when Sekata lashed out with a fist, pounding it into the wall.

"Glaive Horn!" The tiger recovered in mid-air and bounded off the wall. The single horn at the end of its snout was glowing with energy.

Sekata simply walked forward and punched. The horn did succeed in cutting into the circuitry of his left fist, but Skull Barukimon was splattered against the wall, leaving the impression of its body in it.

The tiger certainly hadn't been expecting that and hissed furiously as it struggled to its feet.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The tiny Janet gasped as she struggled to hold on to Sekata's head. "Can you take it easy? I'm up here remember?"

* * *

On the other side, Rain was standing in front of the V-mon kids and shooting lightning bolts at Fangmon. The fox was much faster however, nimbly leaping away from each strike.

With a taunting snicker, Fangmon bounced on Rain's head, slamming his face into the floor.

"Bro!" Steve cried. "He's over there!"

"Gargh, I know." Rain muttered.

The Raindramon pulled himself up and shook the stars out of his eyes. Turning towards his opponent, Rain got into a battle stance and snarled.

"I'm not through with you yet!"

* * *

Sekata allowed Skull Barukimon to latch onto his mechanical body again, before ripping him off and hurling him against the wall.

"Don't keep on letting him make holes in you!" Janet urged. "But then again, he's not very smart, is he?"

"Seems like he's an undead type." Sekata remarked. "He must be one of those 'vengeful presences' Antiramon told me about."

Skull Barukimon got to his feet again, with his eyes glowing more fiercely in their eerie red color.

"Deadly Fear!" The tiger let off a horrendous sound that seemed to pierce everyone's eardrums.

Everyone other than Skull Barukimon and Fangmon was soon rolling on the ground and covering their ears in agony. Sekata was stunned for a while before shaking the attack off. His sensors were registering it, but simply as an abnormal noise.

He turned to each of his suffering companions in turn, and finally to Zoe. That filled him with a blind rage as his shoulder cannons begun to charge up. Sekata roared and executed a back flip, landing on all fours. He braced his arms against the ground and dug his rear talons into the floor.

All this time his shoulder cannons had been glowing, and now they released their increasingly pent up fury.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon!" The lasers discharged, shooting straight at Skull Barukimon.

The tiger didn't even have time to react before the laser completely disintegrated his body. It then continued on to pierce through the laboratory's wall, and several more after that.

"Wow…" Janet stared, still recovering from the howling attack. "What power! It's so awesome! Huh?"

Her body suddenly started trembling uncontrollably and Janet felt nauseous. Then, a loud 'pop' exploded in her ears as she changed back to her normal size. The shock had left Janet off balance and she fell, hitting her backside against the hard, cold metal floor.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" The Strikedramon moaned, rubbing her sore behind.

Fangmon let off a startled whine at his companion's demise and retreated through an air vent on the wall.

"Stop you!" Sekata was too slow to catch up and pounded on the wall in frustration. "Dammit! We've got to go after it!"

"Shouldn't we worry about them first?" Janet gestured towards the V-mon kids, who were now unconscious.

"Don't worry." Rain lifted his head off the ground. "I'll take care of them."

"Killing Skull Barukimon freed you from his curse." Sekata turned towards Janet. "So taking out Fangmon should eliminate mine too."

The Chaosdramon pointed to his Dorugoramon body / mannequin, lying close to Rain and the V-mon.

"Makes sense." Janet agreed. "So let's hurry then!"

"Good luck you guys!" Rain called as the two exited the room.

The V-mon kids seemed to be sleeping soundly and Rain realized that his eyelids just wouldn't stay open any longer.

He was much more exhausted than the rest of them, for Rain had been the only one literally chasing the V-mon around the castle. So, he deserved a break, didn't he?

Rain's head suddenly hit the ground as his world dissolved into the darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Well, look who we have here." A voice sounded. "Come to finish up the remainder of your clan's business?"

"I didn't come here to deal with you." A female voice responded.

Those voices put Aero on alert as he pressed his back against the wall and peered out into the corridor. Puppetmon was standing with his back to Aero's position, and Antiramon facing the smaller Mega Level Digimon. Aero noticed that the latter had a glowing purple card in her hands.

"Don't lie to me! You're after the Chaos Shard I have, aren't you?" Puppetmon said accusingly. "Something your master Makuramon wants?"

"My former master is dead and I am no longer under his command."

"Ooh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"But tell me something, by Chaos Shard, do you mean something like this?"

Antiramon reached into her robes and pulled out a black crystal fragment that caused Aero to gasp.

"Eh? Funny that you have one too." Puppetmon dug his pockets and produced a similar looking black crystal, although his was much larger.

With his other hand however, Puppetmon was pulling out a pistol from his back pocket.

"Look out!" Aero yelled, jumping out and firing off a V-Wing Blade.

Puppetmon first rolled aside, then turned around and fired. Aero narrowly avoided a bullet to his head, but hit the ground in his dodging maneuver.

Antiramon let off a fierce yell as she closed the gap between the two, planting a neat kick in Puppetmon's back. The trickster went flying, losing both his gun and his Chaos Shard in the fall. An awkward moment of silence followed as a stare down ensued between the three parties.

Unfortunately, someone else broke that silence first.

Death-Xmon burst through the wall, roaring like a mad dragon. Everyone panicked and scrambled in different directions, but Aero found himself in a stumble and rolled over in a heap.

"Get up and run!" Antiramon yanked him to his feet and dragged Aero along.

The rabbit still had her shard with her, but Puppetmon had dropped his and failed to retrieve it before fleeing.

Turning his head back, Aero caught sight of Death-Xmon swallowing the Chaos Shard whole. The beast howled and spewed out dark energy waves from its mouth.

It didn't give chase however, something Aero was thankful for.

* * *

"Gargh! Argh!" Dynamo sprang up. "No more! Please no more!"

Taking a few moments to catch his breath, Dynamo realized that he was still in the laboratory the V-mon had brought him into.

His head was hurting like hell, but at least he could move now. Dynamo took a look at the tiny clay fragments by his feet, and at the surrounding area.

"I'm…I'm back to normal size!" He cried. "Woohoo!"

Being manhandled by the two crazy kids added a new page to the book of Dynamo's bad experiences. The battle had apparently thrown him across the room, and Dynamo glanced about, searching frantically for the door.

_I wanna get out of this place quick! _Dynamo thought. _Just so I…huh?_

Lying close by was a Raindramon…accompanied by the two V-mon kids.

"Eek…" Dynamo cringed. "K…keep them away from me!"

The Guilmon never took his eyes off the two as he ran, only to end up crashing into a shelf full of items. Pieces of metallic junk clattered all around, but fortunately the kids didn't wake up. Dynamo breathed a sigh of relief and was busy struggling out of the pile when his claw hit another shelf, causing something to fall.

WHAM!

"Garghh! Ow!" Dynamo moaned, rubbing his sore snout. "Hmmm? This is…"

The object that had hit him seemed like a connecting piece in the shape of an 'X'. It consisted of two strong metal bars welded together, with a hole at each of the four ends. Almost as if they were meant to connect to something.

However, what really caught Dynamo's eye was that the bars were coated in gold, with various precious gemstones affixed to its surface.

"Well hello." Dynamo grinned. "Don't know what you are, but you outta sell for big bucks!"

Naturally, Dynamo took it along as he left the room. Now, all he had to do was find a way out…

* * *

"Rain? Rain! Wake up!" Aero's voice called.

"Ugh…five more minutes mommy…" The Raindramon groaned dreamily.

SLAP!

"WARGH!" Rain was not only slapped, but had his ears pulled by Antiramon until he was back on his feet.

"Well that was harsh, but it got the job done." Aero remarked. "Rain, Antiramon here is an ally who helped us in the ancient city. But we can get you properly introduced later. Where are the others?"

"Others?" Rain looked up. "Sekata and Janet went off, but the kids are…are…"

The Raindramon stopped short, realizing that the two V-mon kids were no longer by his side.

"Aw crap! They ran off again!"

"Hey, calm down hot-head." Aero urged. "We'll find them again."

"This is Sekata's actual body, isn't it?" Antiramon pointed to the wooden mannequin on the floor.

"Yeah, Sekata said so." Rain nodded.

Silently, Antiramon knelt down and produced a leather bag from her robes. Inside was a wooden arm and leg, which she attached to the mannequin using some duct tape. No sooner had she done that did the mannequin glow and change into a flesh and blood Dorugoramon.

Aero touched the neck and felt a pulse. Its chest was rising and falling too, indicating that it was breathing.

"Seems like he's back in shape." Aero remarked. "Now only thing left to do is get his soul back in here, am I right?"

"Indeed." Antiramon replied.

"But how did you find his parts anyway?" Rain asked.

"Well, they weren't wooden parts when I first picked them up." Antiramon responded calmly.

"Eew, gross." Rain stuck out his tongue.

"I've seen worse. Ever been to an active war zone before?"

"Oh, I don't want to know." Rain turned away.

The group was busy loading the Dorugoramon onto Rain's back when a loud crash sounded. All heads turned towards the wall, to see Death-Xmon in the midst of bursting through.

Bits and pieces of Puppetmon's body fell from its jaws as the beast opened its mouth to roar. Stuck to one of the pieces was a glowing purple card.

"That's the card carrying a copy of Sekata's energy signature." Antiramon gasped. "So that's where it went! I though I lost it when we were fleeing from Death-Xmon."

"Man, how are we supposed to fix Steve and Zoe now?" Rain muttered. "The thing just chewed Puppetmon to bits!"

"Erm, Rain." Aero tapped his head. "Does the phrase 'carrying Sekata's energy signature' mean anything to you?"

"Emmmrrrrrr…." Rain stared from Sekata's body on his back to Death-Xmon, who let off a ferocious roar. "Oh crap!"

"Run now!" Antiramon ordered as she tossed another card.

This one exploded into a cloud of smoke that covered the group's escape. Unfortunately, Death-Xmon was hot on their heels.

* * *

"There he is!" Sekata pointed.

"All right, let's get him!" Janet clenched her fists.

The pair had chased Fangmon to the upper levels of the castle, where they had him cornered in a massive dining hall. The place was lavishly decorated with a cloth-covered table, dozens of chairs, a stage in the corner and a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

As Sekata approached from the left, Fangmon sprang up onto the dining table and threw the white tablecloth into Sekata's face. The Chaosdramon was caught off guard, and stumbled whilst trying to get the cloth off.

The nimble fox then proceeded to jump over Janet's outstretched claws and sprinted for the door.

"Oh no you don't!" Janet gave chase.

However, Fangmon abruptly changed directions as the dining hall's door swung open. On impulse, Janet shot out with the only thing she could think of at the moment.

"Garrrrggghh! Princess!" Dynamo, holding a golden, X-shaped metal piece, opened the door just in time to receive a foot to the groin.

Moaning, the Guilmon collapsed as Janet ignored him completely, resuming her Fangmon chase.

"Grrr…" Sekata had his cannons ready, but couldn't fire in fear of hitting Janet. Reluctantly, he moved in to try and help Janet cut off Fangmon's escape route.

The chase eventually took them to the center of the dining table. Fangmon stood atop it, with Sekata and Janet on either side.

"We've got you now!" Sekata snarled. "I'm going to show you what messing around with my body brings you!"

The fox simply snickered and tossed a small sphere into the table. The entire room immediately lit up in a blinding flash of light.

Janet fell to the ground howling while Sekata's system froze up with error messages.

_Dammit! Reboot dammit! _He silently ordered.

The system worked fast, although it left him standing here, motionless for those few seconds.

Dynamo had recovered from his earlier mishap and had unfortunately looked up as the flash took effect. Stumbling about in a daze, the Guilmon smacked into an open cupboard of cooking utensils.

He was first hit on a head by a frying pan that took him to the ground, followed by pots and pans clattering around him. Dynamo screeched as a set of knives fell, surprisingly landing all around his body and making the outline of his scrunched up shape in the carpet.

"Gargh! Whew! Argh…" Dynamo moaned. "This is not my day."

A creaking suddenly alerted him to one last object falling off the shelf…a metal rolling pin.

"Aw son of a…"

WHAM!

"GWWWARRGGHH!" He howled, clutching his groin. "Can't a guy get a break these days?"

"Hehehe…" Fangmon took a moment to laugh and admire his handiwork.

However, that proved to be a fatal mistake for the chandelier shook and came lose. The forces of gravity pulled it down towards earth at a rapid pace.

"Eh?" Fangmon looked up and sweatdropped.

The fox held out a wooden sign with the captions 'Uh-oh' written on it. Seconds later, the entire chandelier came crashing down on his head, crushing Fangmon to death beneath.

"Whoa…" Janet was still blinking the white spots out of her eyes. "What just happened?"

"Hey guys!" A young voice called. "I thought you needed some help!"

"Yeah! We wanted to help fight the bad guys too!" Zoe added in.

Sekata and Janet turned to the stage, where the V-mon Steve and Zoe were standing. The two had released the cords holding the chandelier up, and now held that rope in their hands.

"And they say kids these days are dangerous." Janet stared. "Now I know why."

Suddenly, another set of double doors flew open as Aero, Rain and Antiramon came charging through. All three immediately slammed the doors shut and shoved the closest pieces of furniture against it.

"I used my Digivice to track Janet's." Aero breathed. "But it's not good!"

"He's coming!" Rain added in, shoving his weight against the door.

"Who?" Sekata demanded.

A shrill charging sound came from the other side of the bordered up door before the entire barricade was blown to pieces. Aero, Rain and Antiramon, along with Sekata's Dorugoramon body were tossed in different directions and lay still where they landed.

"Guys!" Janet stared in shock.

Sekata was momentarily glad to see that his Dorugoramon body was both back to normal and in one piece, probably thanks to Aero and the others. His thoughts thereafter went to his wounded companions, but as the next figure entered the room, all his calm was lost.

"Death-X!" Sekata hollered.

* * *

The Chaosdramon attacked immediately, charging across the room. Death-Xmon fired several green breaths from its jaws, all of which missed as Sekata locked claws with it.

Then, its body glowed with a dark energy. Most of it jumped onto Sekata and ran through his mechanical body. Warnings and alert windows popped up on his screen like crazy, but Sekata ignored them and shoved against his nemesis.

_Shields up! _Sekata ordered his internal systems.

"It's absorbed the power of one of the Chaos Shards!" Antiramon warned. "It's too much for you!"

"Get out of there man!" Rain added in.

Rays of dark energy were randomly shooting around the room and Janet dodged them to approach Sekata and Death-Xmon. However, she slammed into an invisible barrier that tossed her to the other side of the room.

Aero approached more cautiously, but the energy stung his claws, forcing him to back away.

"Grrrrr….I won't be defeated by you!" Sekata stared his opponent down as he twisted its claws.

Death-Xmon seemed to feel the pain and howled. Its energy output increased, throwing more and more of the dark energy beams at Sekata.

_Shields critical?_ Sekata glanced at the warnings. _I've got to finish this now! Prepare to divert all power to weapon systems. _

His computer came up with a system message advising against Sekata's decision, but he chose to ignore it. Forcing his body to its limits, Sekata twisted his foe's arms further and begun bashing his head against it.

Sekata knew he had the edge over his foe. Since he his mechanical body didn't feel any pain, it allowed his mind to focus more on his plan of action. In addition, he had all these systems and readings to not only supply him with information, but regulate his body functions and energy reserves.

And his internal computer did that on its own, without Sekata having to put any conscious thought to it.

_It's a shame I'll lose all these advantages once I'm back in my own body. _Sekata said to himself.

"Sekata!" Rain shouted. "Your body!"

The Chaosdramon moved an eye to look at his former Dorugoramon body. As far as he could tell, the Dorugoramon body was still linked to Death-Xmon, and was taking the same bruises he was inflicting on the X-antibody's viral counterpart.

But somehow, it didn't really bother Sekata as much.

_Wait, why do I even want my old body back in the first place? _He realized. _Now, I'm above pain…above suffering…above him! I can just stay as Chaosdramon! I'm so much more powerful that way! _

With that, Sekata lowered his body and pointed his shoulder cannons straight at Death-Xmon. Sekata then commanded his systems to divert all their power to his cannons as he released his hold on Death-Xmon.

He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and that was to leap back as he fired. That would not only take down his foe, but bring him out of his own blast radius at the same time.

Sekata felt the vibration within his cannons and grinned.

_Death-X won't be able to do anything about…huh? _

His screen suddenly flickered and flashed. His systems screamed out several more error messages before going dead.

_What's going on? No, it can't… _

Sekata glanced down in horror and found Death-Xmon's long claws had pierced straight into his chest and out through his back. The massive beast seemed to laugh in his face as it twisted its claws about, ripping Sekata's internal circuitry apart.

His mind screamed for help, but half of his systems weren't responding. Sekata struggled to move, only find that he couldn't because his hydraulics had overloaded. His weapons wouldn't fire either….the little power he had left had automatically been diverted to keeping himself online.

Pieces of his robotic dragon body were falling to the ground, accompanied by various black and brown fluids that powered his systems.

What really had him terrified was that he felt nothing, just saw screen after screen of critical damage messages. Perhaps it was the fact that his mind was that of a living being, not a machine's.

Not feeling the pain of the struggle had created a false sense of invincibility in his mind. And Sekata knew he was about to pay dearly for it.

All he could do was reach up helplessly with his arms as Death-Xmon literally tore him apart.

_I'm sorry…I failed everyone. _The thoughts ran through Sekata's mind. _I just keep looking at…more and more powerful forms that I forgot. Forgot where a warrior's true strength comes from. _

Sekata felt his arms drop limply by his sides.

_Zoe… _Sekata realized that, more than anything, he wanted her to be the last thing on his mind.

"Hey!" A soft voice called. "Hey!"

Sekata forced a little power to his optic sensors and looked down. There, by his foot, was the V-mon form of Zoe, pushing against the back of his leg.

"You can't give up now." She urged. "Everyone's counting on you."

Steve was there too, and joined her in 'holding' up the back of his leg.

"Steve! Zoe!" Rain cried. "Come back! It's too dangerous there!"

Together with Antiramon, Rain pounded against the energy barrier and was hurled away. The V-mon kids however, had somehow managed to get through unscratched.

"No, he needs help!" Steve called.

"Guys!" Aero swooped in and slammed against the energy barrier as well.

"We're not giving up on this yet!" Janet yelled, making her own charge.

_Everyone… _Sekata thought. _The warrior's true strength…comes from the heart! _

Somehow, Sekata found the energy to lift his arms again. Death-Xmon let off a startled yell as Sekata stabbed his claws into its belly.

More of the unstable dark energy crackled over his body, and down to that of the V-mon kids. However, Sekata forced himself to fight and hold on.

Then, an explosion drowned out all his senses.

Suddenly, Death-Xmon was knocked away by a pair of figures shrouded in smoke. A pair of blue clawed hands then reached out and pulled Sekata to his feet.

"Are you all right Sekata?"

Sekata turned his head, and looked into the face of Zoe…as an XV-mon.

* * *

"Zoe?" Sekata stared. "You're back to normal?"

"Hey, don't forget about me too." Steve popped up by his side. He too, was a Flamedramon once again.

"Bro!" Rain jumped into Steve and knocked him over, licking his face. "Man! I missed you bro!"

"Not like I went missing or anything." Steve laughed. "I was just a little different, that's all."

"Looks like that energy field that was blocking us earlier has dissipated." Aero remarked, walking forward to join the group. "I guess you two changing back must have had something to do with the extra discharge of energy from the Chaos Shard of Death-Xmon."

"For all we know, that could've been the thing that altered them in the first place." Rain spoke up.

"Who cares, as long as we have them back." Janet moved forward and placed her arms on the shoulders of Zoe and Steve. "So, let's take this thing down together!"

Antiramon didn't join the group, but sat behind and watched. She was exhausted, having used up much of her chi energy earlier. But the rabbit now had a good feeling that the battle was going their way.

Instead, Antiramon took it upon herself to use her healing magic on Sekata's Dorugoramon body. Not a permanent solution, but one that Sekata himself acknowledged with a nod.

The Chaosdramon didn't even want to count the amount of damage inflicted upon him. Pieces of his outer armor had been torn off in various places, exposed circuitry and wiring hanging out, not to mention the two large holes in his stomach area.

However, Sekata still managed to stand, and turned to face Death-Xmon once again. He didn't really know how, but Sekata felt that he was suddenly more than just a machine now. He was himself again.

Behind him, Aero suddenly felt Siavon's crystal tremble and touched the object hanging around his neck.

"The binding component…" Aero said out loud, causing everyone to look in his direction. "I have a strong feeling that it's right here in this room somehow…"

"Hmm…" Janet glanced around until her eyes fell upon someone lying in the corner. "Dynamo! That's it!"

The Strikedramon flipped herself over the table and sprinted to Dynamo's position.

"Urgh…" Dynamo was just getting up and started upon seeing Janet rushing him. The Guilmon stumbled and walked right into a large hole in the floor that had been created during the recent battle.

"Dynamo!" Time seemed to slow down as Janet leapt off the dining table and skidded along the floor.

"AARRRRGGGHH!" Dynamo was too panicked to get a grip on the edge, and could only stare as Janet dove towards him.

_Jan…_ He gasped. _Are you…really? _

"Rrrrrargh!" Janet landed with a thud on her belly, right hand grasped around Dynamo's right paw. "Ha! Gotcha!"

"Princess?" Dynamo looked dreamily up. "So…you do care after all…"

"What are you babbling about?" Janet snapped. "I just came to get this."

At that, the Strikedramon snatched the golden, gem studded cross device out of Dynamo's hands.

"Hey, wha…"

"Later." Janet smirked, and released her hold.

"W….w…..w…..wa…..wa….." Dynamo's world turned completely blue as the hearts swirling around his head shattered into dozens of pieces.

The Guilmon didn't even seem to notice that he was falling several stories down until he hit the bottom with a loud crunch.

"Wow…" Rain gawked, sweatdropping.

"Hey! That was harsh!" Steve called. "Even for you!"

"Oh, shut up and catch this!" Janet sent the cross device flying.

Aero caught it in his arms and examined it carefully. There seemed to be nothing special about it at first, but his wrist mounted Digivice suddenly shimmered and shot a beam of white light into what he now knew was the connecting device Siavon had mentioned.

"Everyone!" He shouted. "Go to your highest forms now!"

"Don't have to tell us twice." Steve gave a thumbs-up, nodding to the rest of the group.

In a flash of light, Steve, Janet and Zoe activated their D-Dragons. Soon, their respective forms of Wargreymon X, Gaioumon and Imperialdramon Fighter Mode stood poised with their weapons ready.

"And we'll need Sekata's sword too." Aero added in.

"I don't have it with me if you remember." Sekata called. "You guys took it back to base after I lost my mind in the ancient city."

Suddenly, a nearby window panel shattered and the Ryuukonken landed by Sekata's feet, embedding itself in the ground.

"I know." Aero grinned. "That's why I made a few calls first."

* * *

"Guess I got here just in time." Katsu the Shadramon called from the window ledge. "Go for it guys!"

Sekata took hold of the familiar weapon in an unfamiliar grip. Wielding the sword felt awkward, but Sekata quickly realized that everyone was looking at him.

They were expecting him to give an order and send them charging into battle. That was who he was, their leader…whether he chose to acknowledge the title or not.

He then looked towards Antiramon at the rear of the group, who was vigilantly working on healing his Dorugoramon body, with Rain standing by her side.

"Death-Xmon and me are linked. For my Dorugoramon self at least." Sekata spoke up. "Any damage I do to him just comes back to me. That's why I have to fight him…alone."

A brief silence fell upon the group before Sekata hooked the Ryuukonken on his back and continued.

"You guys figure out how to form the sword of Alphamon. I have a feeling that it just might be our trump card."

"But how will you fight if the damage just keeps coming back to you?" Zoe asked, giving a quick glance over to Antiramon and Sekata's Dorugoramon body.

"It's just a hunch I have." Sekata replied. "Trust me."

"Then let me fight with you." Zoe walked up to his side. "You don't have to keep on facing things alone!"

Sekata could tell from her eyes that Zoe would not be turned away from this fight. But there was something else too…a fiery determination that burned within.

She didn't want to lose him again.

However, there was no more time for doubts as Death-Xmon chose its time to attack. Sekata stepped forward and knocked Death-Xmon aside, at the same time turning and nodding to Zoe.

"You have to survive." Zoe whispered as she came closer. "There's something I've learnt, something about us. And I need to tell you after this…"

Sekata was momentarily startled, but the sight of Death-Xmon back on its feet quickly snapped him out of his trance.

With Zoe by his side, the dragons dodged Death-X's outstretched claws and grabbed its arms. Dragging the beast along the ground, the pair pulled back in unison and hurled it into the wall.

_Thought you'd left me high and dry this time. _AncientGreymon's voice sounded. _Is abandoning your body becoming a common practice? _

Sekata knew that the sword had some way of connecting AncientGreymon to him, but decided not to ask about it for now. Things were simply too hectic.

_How I wish it were that simple. _Sekata responded in his mind. _You knew about the link forming between Death-Xmon and myself, didn't you?_

_Now did I? What makes you think that?_

_Tell me how it works! _Sekata insisted.

_Stubborn as usual._ AncientGreymon huffed. _Well, think of it as a couple of chains. The one that connects you to him is already fully formed. However, this isn't true for the reverse. And that's why he can hurt you, but not the other way round._

_That's not fair! Is he the one pulling the strings?_

_The chains, more specifically._ _But there's always a loophole that can be exploited. Because those chains that bind you __**are**__ there._

A scene flashed in Sekata's mind. The one when the computer terminal had exploded at his back and Death-Xmon had seemed to feel the shock as well.

Of course, it was so astonishingly simple!

_Only Death-Xmon can inflict damage on me without getting hurt! _Sekata gasped. _But if I'm attacked by something else, then Death-Xmon feels it too!_

_Took you this long to figure out? _AncientGreymon sighed. _That's why it's been so relentlessly pursuing you. The faster is disables and assimilates you, the faster it loses that weakness._

_But why didn't it just finish me off back at home base? Why lure me all the way out here?_

_Less interference, I believe. But seems like that isn't the case now. _AncientGreymon's presence began to fade. _By the way, duck._

Sekata instinctively complied and narrowly avoided a spray of his foe's acidic green breath. He'd somehow continued fighting, even in the midst of his 'conversation' with AncientGreymon.

The mechanical dragon pounced, knocking Death-Xmon's arms aside. He wrapped his arms around its head and neck, using his claws to hold his opponent's jaws shut. As the creature violently struggled to throw him off, Zoe jumped in with a roar.

The Imperialdramon did her best to clamp down on its arms and wings.

* * *

"And how the heck is this thing supposed to work?" Steve stared down at the X-shaped piece in Aero's claws.

"Grrr, I'd rather be out there, fighting that thing." Janet looked up.

"What did Siavon say?" Aero muttered. "Your heart will guide you?"

A roar of pain rang out as Zoe was flung off Death-Xmon's back and into the wall. Steve and Janet immediately ran to her side, leaving Aero standing by himself.

"Come on Siavon, help me out here." Aero touched the crystal hanging around his neck.

The gem started glowing in a warm light. Aero then saw the ghostly image of a pair of black clawed hands appear over his. The images moved over the center of the binding component and turned a flat, circular middle section. Something that everyone else had overlooked in their panicked state.

More energy from his Digivice flowed into the weapon as it burst into a splendid golden glow.

"Thanks Siavon." Aero whispered. "Hey guys! Here!"

"Gotcha!" Steve caught the component Aero had tossed and held it to his heart for a few seconds. "We're betting this one on you old man!"

The Wargreymon X removed his claw weapons and placed them with their palms facing together. He then joined their finger ends to one of the binding component's four slots.

Death-Xmon reacted to the golden light and suddenly threw Sekata off, making a dash for Steve.

"Jan, heads up!" Steve dove away and tossed the partially formed weapon to Janet.

The Gaioumon attached the hilts of her twin samurai swords to two opposing open slots and pushed them forward. The weapon now consisted of the two katana held together, with the Dramon Killer claws as the 'handle'.

Death-Xmon changed directions, heading for Janet instead. She was faster however, and slid the weapon along the ground to Zoe. It was the blue dragon's turn to attach her weapon, the Positron Laser, to the top.

"Sekata! Rargh!" Zoe's throw went wide as Death-Xmon slammed into her.

Sekata had to execute a diving roll to catch the weapon, but it cost him a previous few seconds as he struggled to get the Ryuukonken out.

"Come on! Come on!" He whispered furiously.

His current claws weren't exactly suited for delicate work and the Ryuukonken ended up being jammed partway into the final slot. Death-Xmon was upon him by this time and despite the warnings from his friends, Sekata took the blow head-on.

One of Death-X's claws pierced through his already damaged chestplate. The other however, went in from the top of his head…and straight towards the binding circle that currently held his soul to the machine.

* * *

"NNNOO!" Zoe screamed as Sekata's arms fell limp.

Death-Xmon drew its long arms out of Sekata's mechanical body, stained with oils and fluids.

The partially formed weapon clattered to the ground as the only noise amid the silence that had fallen. Everyone present was left staring in horror for those few moments.

Then….WHAM!

Sekata's legs suddenly went up and sent Death-Xmon flying off.

"Sekata!" Zoe cried, leapt to his side.

Grinning as best as he could, Sekata opened his jaws and showed her the hole in his head. A couple of inches to the left had determined his fate, for the binding circle was spared.

However, his Chaosdramon form was falling apart and Sekata knew it wouldn't last much longer. Grasping his fingers around the combined weapons, Sekata locked the Ryuukonken's hilt into the final slot, causing the weapon to explode into a binding flash of light.

"Arise! Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken!" Sekata whirled the newly formed weapon around as he turned to face Death-Xmon.

It was more like a halberd actually, with a long handle leading up to a beautifully decorated golden and black blade. The blade section was double-sided, having a cutting edge on either side.

The mere sight of the weapon seemed to enrage Death-Xmon, and it locked eyes with Sekata, staring intensely. However, Sekata already had a plan in mind and dashed over to Antiramon's position.

"Thanks for looking after my body." He said, lifting his Dorugoramon self over his shoulder.

Everyone backed away as Sekata broke into a charge, headed right towards Death-Xmon. In one motion, he hurled the new weapon and threw his back to his opponent.

The Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken spun like a boomerang, going first over Death-Xmon's head and making a huge circle around the room. Finally, it shot back towards Sekata's position.

The shimmering sword pierced through the chest of Sekata's Dorugoramon body, through that of his Chaosdramon form, and lastly into Death-Xmon's screeching mass.

"What the hell?" Janet yelled in confusion.

It seemed like madness to everyone else, with three figures impaled by a huge halberd and struggling. The Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken was beginning to glow and Zoe squinted.

_Wait a minute, the Dorugoramon is moving! _She realized. _So that means…_

"Zoe!" Sekata's voice rang out.

The mechanical Chaosdramon was now motionless, but the Dorugoramon was struggling to pull himself off the halberd.

"Zoe, hey!" Steve yelled as Zoe dashed towards the struggling trio.

"I think it's gonna blow!" Rain exclaimed.

"Oh crap, get down!" Katsu added in.

Everyone was thrown to the ground as the explosion both deafened and blinded all present. Although it seemed like hours, it lasted for all but a few seconds.

The ruined mess of Chaosdramon and the remains of Death-Xmon's massive bulk were soon visible amongst the smoke and fire.

Footsteps sounded as an XV-mon stepped into view…carrying a moaning Dorugoramon in her arms. Weakened, Zoe dropped to her knees with Sekata resting in her lap. The sight of the two caused cheers to ring out amongst the group.

* * *

"I told you…to trust me…" Sekata managed a soft laugh, now back in his proper Dorugoramon body.

"Never….doubted you…." Zoe replied, leaning her head against his neck. "Ever."

Behind them, the Kyuukyoku Sen Jin Ou Ryuu Ken hit the ground and separated into the four original weapons used to form it. The binding component rolled over to the side and hissed, before bursting into dust particles.

_You attacked your Dorugoramon body on purpose. _AncientGreymon sounded surprised. _Then used the Chaosdramon form as a conductor to amplify the damage done to Death-Xmon, while still preserving your Dorugoramon self. Now I'm impressed kid, very impressed. _

Sekata couldn't have cared less about him at that moment. He barely even felt the huge wound in his stomach, which the others were working on bandaging up. Antiramon was working on her healing magic, but with Death-Xmon's regenerative properties gone, it was far less effective.

"Should we take them back?" Katsu wondered.

"Nah, just let them rest." Janet answered, back to her regular Strikedramon form. "They need it."

Antiramon was quickly done with her spell and stepped away from the pair.

"I guess I missed out on most of what you did, but thank you." Steve told her, having reverted to a Flamedramon as well.

In response, Antiramon pulled a black crystal out of her robes and handed it to Steve.

"Hey, this is…"

"A Chaos Shard." Antiramon relied. "A small one, but I believe that it should help."

"It definitely will. I'll make sure of it."

"I know." Antiramon never slowed or stopped in her stride as she walked out the door. "Farewell then. Perhaps we will meet again…"

"Whew, yet another battle won." Aero dropped into a seating position.

"So, how was it like to run amok without a care in the world?" Janet tapped Steve's shoulder.

"Weird, definitely." Steve rolled his eyes. "I'm still trying to sort out the memories I had for that while and the memories I have now. But it was like I really was a young Digimon, although I had the memories of my childhood back on Earth."

"Is that, why you thought I was your older brother?" Rain spoke up.

"Sort of. I can't really explain it, but it's like I was a young V-mon, but using my human memories." Steve scratched his head.

"But how about Zoe? She thought we were her brothers, didn't she?" Rain queried. "That wasn't the case in your original world, was it?"

"No, definitely not." Steve replied. "I have a theory, but I think only Zoe can confirm it for sure."

However, Sekata and Zoe were quite ignorant of everything going on around them.

_Everything else can wait…_Thought Sekata as he stroked the back of Zoe's head affectionately. Zoe let off a soft, dragon purr and fell asleep in his arms.


	47. Fragments of Memories

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Fragments of Memories**

By nightdragon0

The aftermath of the grand battle was a scene of great chaos and destruction. While the old castle still stood, much of its interior rooms were damaged, not to mention the various holes in the walls and towers.

It was in one of the upper rooms, however, that they lay. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed, burying the remains of Chaosdramon and Death-Xmon.

Amidst the rubble, it seemed like both bodies had been twisted into mere fragments of their former selves.

However, something moved.

A red claw suddenly shot out, throwing broken tiles and stones away. A deep growling, accompanied by grunts and creaks of its mechanism followed. A head was the next to emerge, bearing a dragon-like shape, but more sleek and shiny than the original.

Its body took on the same, dinosaur-like structure, standing upright and being supported by a massive tail. There were more patterns on its red armor, with black covering its horns, lower arms, thighs and tail.

The gleaming silver cannons on the back were much longer now, and the creature possessed an additional horn on its nose. In addition, its formerly three fingered claws now seemed like small cannons themselves, with a hole in the center of each 'palm' for the laser.

Finally, the eyes, though black at first, suddenly lit up with a shimmering red.

Chaosdramon X…

* * *

Sekata awoke to a soft snoring.

He immediately recognized the familiar surroundings of his room. The blinds were open, allowing some of the morning sun to stream through.

The bedding felt different and Sekata realized that it had been changed to some sort of rubber-like material. Whatever it was, it prevented the pointed tips of his Dorugoramon wings from cutting through.

Zoe was asleep in the chair nearby and resting her head on the table. The XV-mon's tail swished back and forth with her breathing, as did her folded wings.

Smiling, Sekata stroked the side of her head. The blue dragon grunted softly and slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey…" Sekata whispered.

"Hey yourself." Zoe replied weakly, rubbing her face. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah." The silver armored dragon nodded, touching the bandage that went around his chest. "You guys brought me back here?"

"The others did. I was too worn out myself."

"Have you been watching over me?"

"Well…yes I have." Zoe told him. "You've been out for the last couple of days."

"Erm…Zoe…" Sekata hesitated. "Thanks for getting me out of that explosion. Don't think I could've made it on my own."

"You'd do the same for me." She smiled.

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have to. You're nowhere as reckless as me."

The two burst out laughing.

"What do…you remember after that?" Sekata suddenly asked.

"Not much, but I recall feeling your touch." Zoe looked down. "It was…very relieving…knowing you were….all right."

"And?"

_Did she know? Did she acknowledge me? _Sekata wondered. _But am I rushing things? I can't possibly expect too much, can I?_

"I…I…don't really remember." Zoe blurted. "Why?"

_No, that didn't come out right! _The XV-mon mentally slapped herself. _I should __**tell**__ him! But I…I just can't…_

"You were…were….just groaning a bit." Sekata finished. "I thought that….you might've been hurt too."

"Exhausted most likely."

"Yes…" Sekata nodded. "And…back during the battle, you said that you had to tell me something important, didn't you?"

"That…" The blue dragon closed her eyes. "Well, it's hard to explain, but…"

"But?"

"I think we were meant to be here, in this world."

"What do you mean?" Sekata sat up fully.

"Try this, tell me something about your past. Don't think, just say whatever comes to mind."

"Wha…"

"Just try it!"

"Fighter…" The Dorugoramon shot out, surprising himself at the same time. "Battle cards…I was a champion."

"How true are all those?" Zoe leaned forward. "Now, think about your human past specifically."

"Well…I was one of the tops in Digimon Battle Cards. I won a few tournaments here and there." Sekata said after a while. "But fighter? An underground pit fighter? I…rarrgghh! That can't be right!"

"Perhaps not in our original human realities, but they could be in this one." Zoe suggested. "Our Digimon realities."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember back at Daemon? When I heard the voice telling us that realities had shifted, erasing our presence from the human world?"

"Go on…"

"It could have done more than just than alter our present and future." Zoe concluded. "It could have altered our past as well!"

* * *

"You sure this is what he would want?" Aero queried.

"Definite." Steve nodded. "I mean, he pretty much told you himself, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did."

The Aero V-dramon and Flamedramon were standing on a hill outside their base. It was a quiet spot, with a circle of flowers under the shade of a cherry tree.

Beneath it was a simple tablet that served as a memorial to Zelia, Siavon and Cimons. Siavon's petrified form had been placed there and Aero hung both the locket and Evza's crystal around the stone statue's neck.

"It's a good spot." Katsu nodded, walking up with Adrian in tow.

"You doing all right, Adrian?" Aero asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." The Airdramon sniffed.

"We all know Cimons was your buddy." Aero patted him on the shoulder. "It's tough on us too."

Steve took one final look at the stoned Siavon. According to Zoe, any presence within had sine disappeared, leaving nothing but a cold, empty shell.

He was sure that the old dragon had found his peace at least.

With that, Steve left the other three to their quiet exchange and returned to the base. He still had a mystery of his own to solve.

* * *

Sekata was silent for over a full minute before finding his voice.

"What does that mean? That we now have a past in this world instead?"

"You remember when I got turned into a V-mon kid?" Zoe muttered. "Rain mentioned that I though Steve and I were his younger siblings."

"But you're actually an only child if I remember."

"In the human reality. But here, I sort of remember being adopted into a family with a couple of V-mon. They were my stepbrothers of sorts, and that image just kept sticking in my mind."

"Even though you're back to your proper age now?"

"Yeah…" The XV-mon nodded. "Somehow, I think we were supposed to lose our human memories when we came here."

"But we didn't, and now we have all these Digimon memories being stirred up." Sekata noted. "Things that we've supposedly gone through before."

"I was thinking similarly too. The reality shift isn't fully complete yet, but its effects are becoming more prominent."

"And that's the reason why we're feeling more and more of them." Sekata finished.

"I tried this with Janet too." Zoe continued after a while. "The impression she gave me is that she was a mechanic in her Digimon past. But as for Steve, I haven't…"

"So that's it!" Steve suddenly burst into the room.

"Speak of the devil." Sekata muttered under his breath.

"Hey! Steve!" Janet followed him in, waving her claws about.

"I understand now…" Steve muttered, pulling off his Flamedramon mask and staring hard at it.

* * *

**1 Day Ago…**

"Feeling better bro?" Rain looked up from his seat on the couch.

"The good night's sleep did wonders." Steve flopped down in the chair next to him.

After the previous day's encounters, it was nice to just take a relaxing afternoon off, snoozing lazily in the living room of the base.

"You know…" Rain began. "It was kinda interesting when you two got shrunken into kids."

"In what sense? All the pranks we pulled on you?"

"No, it's that big bro and me really did have a sister back then."

"Hmm? You've never told me before."

"Well, I remember she was adopted. She was around big bro's age, but I was told she ran away one day and never came back." Rain closed his eyes, lost in thought. "I was still pretty young back then, so I don't recall much about her other than the fact that she was a V-mon too…"

* * *

BOOM! A sudden explosion rocked the area, snapping everyone in the room to alert mode.

"What the hell?" Janet blurted out.

"Aero's sending a distress signal." Zoe looked down at her D-Dragon. "And he's just outside!"

"Let's go then!" Sekata swung himself out of bed and involuntarily clutched his chest in pain.

"You'd better…" Zoe started.

"No, I'm not sitting this one out!" Sekata grunted, charging down the stairs.

His companions had no choice but to follow and were met at the entrance by a panting Shadramon and Airdramon.

"Big trouble…" Katsu pointed down the path.

"Damn, that thing is tough!" Adrian added in.

Sekata sprinted down the road and stopped short once the attacker came into view.

"No…" He gasped. "Not possible…"

"Wasn't that…" Steve stared. "Your Chaosdramon body?"

"It's gotten an upgrade." Janet noted. "Chaosdramon X."

It was the same red mechanical dragon Sekata had temporarily bound his soul to. Only now it was raving mad and swiping wildly at Aero and Rain, both of whom were darting around their opponent.

"My saber could barely penetrate its armor." Aero, in Alforce V-dramon form, jumped back.

"Please tell me what the heck is going on here!" Rain added in, retreating to a safe distance.

Chaosdramon X turned its head and glared at Sekata in rage.

"So, you're back!" It hissed. "You! The one who deserted me!"

Sekata was momentarily stunned at hearing the mechanical voice that sounded just like his own. However, he spotted something as the machine spoke.

"The binding symbol!" He realized. The enchanted marking was still engraved on the creature's upper jaw. "It's still there!"

"Surprised?" Chaosdramon X laughed. "Well even after you left me, it gave me a second lease at life!"

"Could it be?" Zoe stepped up. "That the binding symbol left an imprint of your soul in the machine?"

"So what does that mean?" Janet queried.

"That thing is like a copy of Sekata's mind."

"Of course, how did you think I knew where to find you?" Chaosdramon growled.

"What do you want with us then?" Sekata demanded.

"It's what I want with you!" The mechanical dragon pointed a claw. "As long as you exist, I'll always be nothing more than your copy! That's why you must die! Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

Everyone jumped in different directions activating their evolution sequences at the same time.

"Imperialdramon, Fighter Mode!" Zoe cocked her wrist mounted cannon.

"Gaioumon!" Janet withdrew her twin samurai blades.

"Wargreymon!" Steve snapped his claw weapons on and slashed them together.

"Typical, another guy who wants me dead." Sekata unsheathed the Ryuukonken and held it up to his Dorugoramon face. "Well, bring it on!"

Chaosdramon roared and fired its shoulder cannons. In response, Sekata swung his sword at the beams with a backhanded stroke, slicing the large beams into many smaller ones that swerved away harmlessly.

Zoe fired a laser, which Chaosdramon ducked beneath. For something its size, the mechanical dragon was surprisingly agile, rushing forward and blocking both Steve's and Janet's weapon attacks. Using its superior bulk and strength, Chaosdramon easily threw them back.

Sekata leapt forward and engaged it with a series of fierce slashes that met his foe's claws, sending sparks flying everywhere. Using the distracting, Aero attempted an attack from behind that met only with a firm blow from Chaosdramon's tail. The Alforce V-dramon was sent spinning into a distant tree.

However, Aero dropped a shiny object, which rolled between Chaosdramon's legs.

"Oh no! The Chaos Shard!" Zoe gasped.

The dark colored crystal suddenly began emitting bolts of energy, which swirled around Chaosdramon X's body and caused it to howl in agony. Forced to shield his eyes, Sekata realized that the same energy was shooting out of Chaosdramon's interior.

_The Chaos Shard that Death-Xmon consumed! Chaosdramon must've absorbed its powers when he came into contact with it!_ Sekata thought.

He felt Zoe tugging his arm, who'd apparently come to the same conclusion.

"What's going on?" Rain yelled, running up to Steve and Janet.

"It's something that isn't good." Steve muttered.

"Guys, get out of there!" Aero called from the distance. "It's gonna blow!"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth did a blinding explosion consume the rest of the party. If Aero had been looking up instead of shielding his head, he would've seen the dark vortex that had been created.

Some complex reaction had occurred between the two Chaos Shards and Chaosdramon's energy, opening a rift for a brief instant.

"Guys?" Aero opened his eyes once all the commotion had died down.

Upon seeing nobody around, he instinctively went to the Digivice bracelet around his wrist. However, that too came up with nothing.

No signs or any traces of them. The only signs of the earlier battle were the charred spots and burning vegetation.

_Where are they?_

* * *

Sekata groaned, turning in his bed.

_Back here again… _He sighed. _I've got to stop letting the others drag me back here after every…huh? What the?_

Something seemed different. He felt his body was different for that matter. And it was a feeling that he hadn't experienced for a long time.

_Could it be?_

All at once, Sekata shoved his aching body up and forced his eyes open. And that left him staring down at a hand.

A human hand.

"What the hell?" He yelled, scrambling out of bed. Unfortunately, that ended up with him hitting the carpeted floor face-first instead.

Rolling to a kneeling position, the confused man glanced around the room.

It was definitely 'his' room. But as to which of his rooms, Sekata couldn't tell. He couldn't even remember what his room back in the human world had looked like and kept relating this room to his one in the Digital World.

_The arrangements, the furniture…everything's the same as in the base! _The now human dragon noted.

There was a full length mirror on the wall and Sekata took a deep breath before looking into it.

_Was this how I looked as a human? God, I can't even remember!_

Sekata was bare-bodied, but had a pair of purple shorts on. The neck length black hair was messy and unkempt. He blinked his brown eyes and examined his well built, muscular body.

_I seem like I've been working out in the gym everyday! And I look at least 24 or 25! I definitely wasn't like this before! How… _

The young man's gaze then fell upon the trophy cabinet and the plaques hanging on the wall beside it.

"World Kendo Championship 2004? And 2005?" Sekata read out loud. "Battle Card Regional Champion? Battle Card International Champion? They all…belong to…ME?"

Still in much of a daze, Sekata dashed to the window and threw it open. Down below was a busy street, with dozens of cars and humans walking about.

_This street…I think this is the place I lived at while I was in America! _

A sudden feeling of weariness came over him and Sekata dropped down onto the bed. His hand unconsciously went for the spot where he normally left the Ryuukonken…and felt it there.

_AncientGreymon! _

"Hey you! What did you do to me this time?" Sekata snatched the sword up and stared at it in shock. It was a wooden sword, the kind used for the Japanese sword art, Kendo.

"AncientGreymon! Hey! Answer me!" The morph hurled his pillow at the wardrobe in frustration.

The doors swung open, revealing a set of Kendo armor within. Next to it was a silver and purple suit, and a cell phone.

Touching his right hand, Sekata now realized that his D-Dragon was no longer there. Immediately, he snatched the cell phone and scanned through the contact list.

_Zoe's name and number! _

Heart pounding, Sekata dialed the number and waited impatiently as the phone begun to ring.

"Hello?"

* * *

"Hello? Zoe is that you?" Sekata asked.

"Who? Sekata? It's you isn't it?" Zoe practically screamed from the other side. "Where are you?"

"I'm in some house that looks suspiciously familiar to the one I once had. And I'm human!"

"Same here." Zoe replied. "Plus, I look and feel like I'm 22 or something! This is too weird…"

"I know." Sekata sighed. "Have you managed to reach Steve or Janet?"

"Well, I've only got Janet's number on my phone, but she's not answering at the moment."

"Zoe, I'll meet up with you first then." Sekata decided. "Do you know your address?"

"Erm…I see a Street 27 below my window."

"Hmm, I'm at a Street 25." Sekata shot a quick glance outside. "I'm guessing that it should be a couple of blocks down. Stay put, I'll be there soon!"

"Hurry." Zoe urged. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I, Zoe…so do I."

Sekata was about to charge out when he remembered that he couldn't exactly leave the house the way he was now. Hastily, he grabbed the silver set of clothes and forced it on. The long trousers were silver, with purple streaks running down the sides while the silver T-shirt had long sleeves that were purple colored.

_The same as my Dorugoramon colors… _

Something else was glittering on the desk and Sekata saw that it was a car's key. Grabbing that and the cell phone, he scrambled down the stairs into a living room that looked so much like their base in the Digital World.

Not wasting any time, the black haired man threw the door open…and found a silver Mercedes parked in the driveway.

_Ok, I know how to use this. _Sekata told himself, leaping into the driver's seat. _I learnt to drive a landrover in the Digital World…I can handle this too! _

However, it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.

_Dammit, only two pedals? Where is the clutch? And where's the ignition switch for that matter? Is this the handbrake or the gear?_

"Gargh!" Sekata pounded the dashboard in frustration.

* * *

"I don't believe this." Steve glanced around. "This place is a mansion."

He was now a 22 year old, blond haired man dressed in blue jeans and an orange singlet. Over that was a blue jacket with flame patterns around the back, and a pair of sunglasses hanging around his neck.

_This place kinda reminds me of the interior of the Digimetal Knights' castle. _

"Gargh! Ow! Argh!" A figure dressed completely in black suddenly came rolling down the hall's main stairway.

"Hey, are you all right?" Steve dashed to his side.

"Ugh…huh…hey! Is that you Steve?" The youth looked up.

"Who…" Steve stopped short, eyes wide.

"It's me, Rain!" The teen jumped up and shook him. "What am I anyway? I don't understand how you're supposed to walk upright without a tail for support! Steve? Steve!"

Steve could only continue staring with a distressed look on his face. The figure before him had those same looks. The same shade of blond hair and that calm look in his brown eyes.

_No, he's…he's… _Steve's thought ran wildly in his mind. _No, it's Rain! It's Rain! He's a Raindramon dammit! A Digimon! He's not my brother! _

SLAP! That single motion snapped Steve out of his trance as Rain withdrew his hand.

"I'm sorry." Rain whispered. "Steve, please talk to me!"

One of the side doors suddenly creaked open and an elderly gentleman dressed in a formal suit approached. Even in his half-stunned state of mind, it occurred to Steve that he looked much like a butler.

"Good day Master Steve and Master Rain." The strange man bowed. "Is something the matter? I believe that there was some shouting earlier."

"Erm…no, we're fine." Steve managed. "Thanks."

"Very well, do call if you need anything." The butler bowed again before departing.

"Ok, the last thing I remember is being sucked into that explosion and now, I'm…" Rain began.

"In my world." Steve finished for him. "Or at least, some strange distortion of it."

"I'd ask what you mean, but I guess you don't really know either, huh?"

"It's like a bit of your world, and a bit of mine." Steve sat down on the stairs.

"Like…this is some sort of…mixed reality?"

"Wouldn't put it past that."

"And what's wrong with you?" Rain put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "The way you were staring at me earlier."

"Yeah…" Steve took a deep breath. "You look just like my older brother did when he was around 17 or so."

"Oh…" Rain looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir up any bad memories."

"No, it's…" Steve paused. "Hey, look there!"

He dragged his human-turned Raindramon companion over to a set of pictures on the wall.

"Is that…us?" Rain stuttered. "What we look like now at least."

"As humans…"

The framed pictured detailed a family of four, with two parents and two youths…Steve and Rain. Steve looked hard at the pictures and recognized his parents, feeling the pain in his heart.

_No, this can't be real. I can't really be home. _Steve told himself. _Sure, I miss them, but…this isn't the way I wanted to come back…_

"You don't have an older brother who died…not in this world." Rain suddenly spoke. "And neither do I…"

"Yeah, we're brothers here." Steve added in. "And I'm the older one!"

"But who's this?" Rain gestured.

One of the pictures had a young girl none of the others had. She was very cheerful looking, with a smooth complexion, brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.

In the picture, she was standing between the younger human versions of Steve and Rain, with their hands over each other's shoulders.

"I know her…" Steve gasped. "It's Zoe!"

* * *

Sekata steered the car into the parking lot and looked up at the set of apartments before him. Zoe had given him a more detailed description of 'her' house along the way, nearly causing him to crash because he'd been using the cell phone while driving.

_This has got to be it! _He jumped out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut. Unfortunately with the key locked inside.

"Dammit!" Sekata kicked the door in fury.

However, that action had given the young man a look in his side mirror, alerting him to a figure standing behind him. Sensing that something was wrong with the intruder, Sekata quickly snapped into a defensive stance

The man looked to be in his 30s, dressed completely in a black suit and tie with a white shirt visible beneath. His brown hair was neatly combed and tucked back.

A stern expression was locked on his face and partially hidden by the pair of sunglasses he wore. That expression didn't waiver a single bit as he approached.

"Who are you?" Sekata demanded.

Without warning, the man attacked. Sekata immediately blocked the first two punches and threw one of his own. The blow connected with his opponent's lower jaws, setting him off balance.

Sekata made a spinning maneuver, intending to take his foe down using his tail. A little too late, the morph realized that he didn't have his tail anymore. Besides making him look quite stupid, it also got Sekata a hard kick in the chest that sent him crashing into a nearby car.

"Gargghh…" Sekata pulled his aching body from the wreckage. The car had apparently taken more damage than him, with a large dent its hood that matched the shape of Sekata's body.

Wiping his bleeding hands on his trousers, the enraged human pushed off the car and rocketed into the black suit. The attacker was smashed into another car with similar results, but got up just as quickly.

A second, similar-looking man dressed in black suddenly emerged from the shadows, somersaulting over to Sekata's position.

Being more agile was a plus to Sekata's traits, allowing him to flip over a low kick from his new attacker. Whilst still in mid-air, the defender lashed out with a fist to his opponent's face. It utterly startled him when the black suit caught his arm, holding his weight up for a couple of seconds before hurling him into the wall.

A series of cracks appeared in the concrete as the morph made contact.

"Grrrr…" Sekata growled, pulling himself to his feet. "Now I'm angry!"

As the martial artist raised his right fist, a strange fiery mark appeared on its back. It was a symbol that clearly resembled a dragon's head.

"Sekata!" A car pulled up, being driven by a black haired woman of at least 22 years. "Here! Get in!"

The morph followed his instincts and decided to trust the lady, who was dressed in a green mechanic's overalls. It didn't take him long to leap into the passenger seat.

The driver quickly sped off, leaving the two black suits in the dust.

"I see they got to you too." The mechanic breathed. "I would've gotten here sooner, but I somehow woke up in a vehicle repair shop whose manager thought I was sleeping on the job."

"I'm assuming that it's you Janet." Sekata panted.

"You got that right. I managed to get in touch with Zoe, and she told me where to find you."

"Zoe? Is she all right?"

"She left her apartment and I agreed to meet her at this diner." Janet told him. "But last I heard from her, she was trying to evade another of those strange guys in black suits."

"Please be safe Zoe…" Sekata gripped the door's handle tightly, feeling the sweat trickling down his face.

* * *

Zoe ducked behind the pillar and waited, trying to control her breathing as much as possible. The subway station was packed and she was hoping that it would serve to deter her pursuer.

An odd European man in a black suit had attacked her shortly after leaving her apartment. The morph had been able to break away and disappear into the crowd, but Zoe was certain that she was still being followed.

Along the way, she'd managed to contact Janet via cell phone and explained everything. Panting, Zoe brushed back her brown hair and wiped the sweat off her brow.

_Perhaps I should've had the insight to put on more than just a blue pair of shorts and a white T-shirt! _She sighed. _I must look so out of place here!_

And she felt very out of place too. But she had wanted this, hadn't she? To return to her original world. But no, this couldn't be the same world she'd left behind. Not one where she was a university student working part-time and living by herself.

"Hey."

The distracted girl started as she felt a firm grip on her arm. Whirling around, Zoe found a black haired man dressed in a red sweater and gray jeans.

"Who…" She began.

"Shhh! Duck." The stranger pulled her into a crouching position just as the black suit walked past. He was the same one who'd been following Zoe earlier.

Quietly, the man gestured for her to follow and Zoe complied, sneaking into an empty corridor which led to the toilets.

"That was a close one Zoe." Her companion gasped.

"Yeah, thanks." Zoe nodded. "But how…"

"Hey, it's me Sekata! Well, I guess you wouldn't recognize me now that I'm…"

"No, it's all right." The female shook her head. "I'm just a little overwhelmed right now."

"Wait, look there!"

"Where?"

As Zoe turned her head, it just flicked into her mind that something felt wrong. Those were her last thoughts before the morph took a hard blow to the back of her head.

* * *

Fumbling with the cell phone, Sekata managed to get it upright as it rang, displaying Zoe's number on the screen.

"Hello? Zoe?"

"She's not available at the moment, I'm afraid." A male voice sounded from the other end.

"Hey who is this?" Sekata demanded. "Where's Zoe?"

"I'm surprised you haven't guessed yet, since it seems that you and I were the cause of this whole thing in the first place."

"Who…" Sekata stopped short. The voice was familiar…so similar to his own. "Chaosdramon?"

"Well, if you want the girl back, you'll come to the row of warehouses along the East Docks. I'm sure you can't miss that."

"Wait! Hello? Hey!" Sekata yelled. "Damn, he hung the phone up!"

"Chaosdramon's here too?" Janet asked from the driver's seat.

"Yes, and he's got Zoe."

"Seems that he's back with a vengeance. We'd better…whoa! What the?"

Janet slammed the brakes, causing the vehicle to screech to an abrupt halt. The road ahead of them was covered in a mysterious gray fog.

"I recognize this…" Sekata stared. "It's a Digital Field!"

The ground begun to shake as a huge creature stomped into view. It was a blue dinosaur that stood upright, with its right upper limb ending in a metallic dinosaur head and its left ending in a lizard-like skull.

"It's a Digimon." Janet realized. "Deltamon!"

"RRROOOGGGAARGGHH!" The dinosaur roared as it glared straight at the vehicle.

"Oh crap! Bail!" Janet yelled.

The pair barely made it out before Deltamon unleashed its Triple Forces ability, firing a laser beam from its head and both arms. The energy burst was more than enough to blow the car to smithereens.

Sekata was thrown into a pile of trash cans by the explosive force and lay there, groaning.

"How the hell did this Digimon get here?" Janet wondered from the other side of the road.

"You…" Sekata growled, staggering to his feet. "I don't have time to deal with you!"

As the young warrior's anger welled up within, the dragon head symbol on his right fist glowed once again. Deltamon hardly seemed to take note as it continued firing its lasers about wildly, forcing Sekata to run and avoid the falling debris.

Janet watched in awe as Sekata's dragon symbol emitted a brilliant flash of light. A ring of Digicode also formed around his left hand and Sekata brought the two together.

"Matrix Evolution!"

Immediately, Sekata felt the transformation begin. Turning his hands over, Sekata watched as his five fingers merged into three fingered claws. A layer of silver lined the harder nails while the scales beneath were purple.

"Now…you're gonna get it!" Sekata spoke as his jaws elongated into a snout lined with sharp fangs. His tongue also morphed to become long and lizard-like, making his words come out as more of a hiss.

His eyes changed, glowing with a deep red as the morph stared intimidatingly at his target.

The transformation followed his body downwards as a pair of purple leathery wings erupted from his back, ripping his shirt apart. His shoulders broadened to match the head's silver armor and purple scales. That continued as a tail emerged, even though the remainder of his pants melded into the purple scales instead of being simply ripped apart.

Three-toed talons were the last to emerge, tearing his shoes off in the process.

"Dorugoramon!" The dragon roared. Suddenly, Sekata felt so much more alive.

Deltamon definitely took note of this dragon's sudden appearance and responded to the challenge. It fired its lasers without much hesitation.

Sekata jumped over the shots and planted a kick straight in the dinosaur's face, knocking it over. The wild Digimon hit the ground hard, smashing part of a nearby building in the process. Deltamon wasn't defeated yet and lashed out with its tail.

Utilizing his powerful arms, Sekata stood firm and blocked the blow. While the Dorugoramon barely felt any pain, the impact was enough to send him skidding across the street. Fortunately, the dragon managed to keep himself upright by digging his talons into the street.

Janet went scrambling for cover as pieces of tar and concrete were indiscriminately tossed in all directions.

Deltamon jumped to its feet and raised its arms to fire. Sekata went down on all fours and pushed off the ground, smashing into his opponent. The force of the blow sent Deltamon's lasers firing wide, making holes in several other buildings.

"Brave Metal!" Sekata's body glowed as flames enshrouded his draconic form.

With a savage cry, he slammed into the downed Deltamon, reducing it to data particles.

"Man, that thing stood no chance at all." Janet whistled.

"No…I can't…hold…it…" Sekata grunted. The roaring Dorugoramon dropped to his knees and changed back into Sekata's human form in a flash of Digicode.

"Sekata!" Janet dashed over and helped her exhausted comrade to his feet. He was left in nothing but the tatters of his former clothing.

"Zoe…" Sekata muttered. "We've…got to…"

"We've got to get out of here first." Janet shouldered the dazzled man as police sirens blared in the distance.

"Zoe…"

* * *

"Bro, take a look at this!" Rain pointed.

Steve ran from his desk over to the window and gasped. A bright pillar of blue light was visible from deep within the city.

The duo had spent some time searching around 'their' mansion, trying not to seem too out of place while they were at it. From what they could tell, the mansion was located on the outskirts of town and had been purchased only recently.

Steve had been considering that this was sort of a possible future if he had remained in his original world. But the blue light stirred up a lot of emotions. For Steve knew only too well that it was a light of evolution.

"It could be Sekata or the others." Steve remarked.

"Look, your hand!" Rain gestured.

Raising his left palm, Steve flipped it over to find a glowing dragon-head symbol there.

_Is this my D-Dragon? _He wondered. _Does it still exist here too? And if that's the case, so should our evolution powers._

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Rain queried.

"I…" Steve mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The youth turned away. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'd forgotten that this is what you've been searching for all this time, and you don't want to just go back to…"

"No, it's not like that." Steve shook his head. "I mean, I like the Digital World and all, despite its problems. And I like hanging out with you guys. But…"

"You miss your original world."

"Yeah, I guess. As much as I try to put it behind me."

"I kinda feel the same way." Rain admitted. "Now that I'm here and it's your world instead."

"I don't really think it is."

"Huh?"

"It is my world…but at the same time not the one I remember." Steve looked up. "It could be the future, but there are just too many things out of place. As much as I want to just accept it, I know I can't!"

"Bro…"

"I have to do what's right." Steve grinned, pushing the bedroom's door open. "We both do."

Rain responded with a firm smile.

"Great, then let's go find the others!" Steve declared.

* * *

_This sucks… _Was the first thought that came to Zoe's mind. _If there's one of us who always gets captured or kidnapped for being off guard, it's none other than me! _

Zoe opened her eyes to find herself in a dark warehouse. At least, it seemed like one from the stacks of crates lining every corner. She felt her hands fastened to the wall above and tugged on them, rattling the chains.

"You shouldn't bother, they're quite tight."

A lamp flicked on, revealing the man dressed in red and gray. He was calmly leaning against the wall and waiting.

"You…you're not Sekata." Zoe muttered.

"Humph."

"Chaosdramon I presume?" She continued. "I should've known. Since you're a copy of Sekata, coming into this reality made you in his likeness as well."

"That's a lot coming from someone who hasn't seen him as a human before." Chaosdramon snapped, slamming his fist into the wall.

Zoe was taken aback, but managed to gather enough of her senses to carry on with the conversation.

"You have Sekata's memories too?" She asked.

"Only some." Chaosdramon closed his eyes. "Probably what was on top of his mind at that time."

"I see…so, the duplication wasn't perfect…"

"That's the reason!" The black haired man growled. "The reason why I need him out of the way! Gugghh…what…is this feeling?"

Zoe saw that his hand was bleeding, probably having being cut by the uneven welding on the wall.

"You're human now." She told him. "That's why you can feel the pain."

"Pain?" The Digimon in human form held his bleeding hand up.

"I understand that you were created a machine. And even that creation was an accident…"

"Shut up!"

"You're hurt! You're feeling lost and alone! Those are emotions you don't understand yet."

"I am a machine! I don't have emotions!"

"Then how do you explain what you're feeling now?" Zoe asked.

"I…" Chaosdramon gritted his teeth. "Don't try showing sympathy for me!"

"And I'm not! That's because I can see that you're more than just a machine! You can think, understand and learn!" Zoe yelled back. "That's why I want you to understand that you don't have to fight Sekata! There's a better way!"

"None of us have to fight!"

"We all…" Chaosdramon stopped as a door creaked open.

It was one of the last people Zoe expected to see however…the black suited man from before.

"Grrr…." Chaosdramon snarled, as if sensing his hostility.

In a flash, the strange man literally flew across the room and kicked Chaosdramon into a stack of crates. A key fell from his hands and landed right by Zoe's legs. Using both her feet, the morph took hold of the key and flipped it up into her hands.

Chaosdramon had pulled himself up by this time and charged into his attacker, throwing both to the ground. That left Zoe undisturbed as she clicked the key and undid the chains binding her hands.

Quickly, Zoe rolled into the shadows and eyed the door the black suit had come in by.

The mysterious man was still struggling with Chaosdramon's human form and the latter managed to shove his opponent off. As Chaosdramon turned to face her, Zoe pushed a crate into his face.

Distracted, Chaosdramon's shin was an easy target for Zoe, who kicked the spot and left the older human's furious screams behind. Clutching his leg in pain, Chaosdramon was unable to give chase as Zoe fled.

Ahead of her was a line of docks and Zoe dashed towards the nearest one. She almost jumped off, but managed to stop herself just in time.

"Crap! Forgot that I don't have my wings!" Zoe cursed, glancing frantically around.

A small motorboat presented an opportunity that Zoe took up. Fortunately, the boat was neither chained nor locked, allowing her to start the motor and speed off into the night.


	48. Like Myself

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Like Myself**

By nightdragon0

"That was close." Zoe panted.

A lot of things were still puzzling the morph as she piloted the boat back towards the city.

Something big had happened when those two Chaos Shards had come into contact. It seemed to be in their ability to breach the gap between space and time. But then, exactly what was this world they were in?

Zoe was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the 'cloud' of fog until she steered the boat right into it.

"What the?" She gasped, barely able to see a foot in either direction. The boat's motor chose this moment to splutter and die, leaving Zoe to kick the machine in frustration.

The morph suddenly realized that her left hand was glowing. She turned the palm downwards and found a dragon-head symbol glowing on the back.

"My D-Dragon?"

However, the glow faded just as quickly as it had appeared. A sudden splash caused Zoe to look up, forgetting about the odd light for the moment.

Something was moving nearby and it didn't sound like another boat. Frantically, Zoe tried the motor again, but to no avail.

The splashing was closer now… then suddenly stopped.

Zoe leaned against the edge, trying to pinpoint the direction of the last sound. A huge tentacle abruptly shot out of the water, barely missing the boat. However, it created a strong wave that sent Zoe dropping to the bottom of the vehicle.

The panicked girl scrambled up just in time to see the head of a gigantic white squid, Gesomon, rising above the water level.

_What the heck is this thing doing here? _Was all she could think of before one of the Digimon's tentacles smashed the boat in two.

Zoe plunged into the cold, dark waters and forced her eyes open. Not very adept in water, her lungs quickly screamed for air as brown haired girl swam desperately for the surface.

All she could manage was a couple of breaths before a second wave knocked her under. Gesomon was moving rapidly, sensing her position.

The dragon head symbol on Zoe's left hand glowed once again and she closed her eyes. A ring of Digicode formed around her other hand and Zoe put the two together, much like Sekata had done earlier.

_Matrix Evolution! _

Suddenly, the changes commenced…becoming a draconic form that was so familiar to her by now.

First, her fingers extended into claws and toes into talons, ripping her shoes apart. Tears appeared in her clothes as the muscles bulged out, but the rest of the material seemed to merge with her skin as it became blue scales.

A tail and a pair of red leathery wings emerged. Fangs lined her mouth as it elongated into a pair of lizard-like jaws. Zoe's joints rearranged themselves so that she would've been quadruped if standing on dry land, making loud crunches as they did.

Her hair was replaced by a white mane before it too was covered in a set of black armor that went over Zoe's entire body.

_I'm Imperialdramon! _She realized, paddling with her limbs.

The result was very different and had her shooting forward… straight into a startled Gesomon. The squid released a cloud of black ink in its panic, but that didn't stop Zoe from, slashing its cartilage open with her claws.

Threshing and squirming, Gesomon sank back into the depths before disintegrating into data particles.

Zoe was on the surface the next moment, gasping for air. The Imperialdramon forced her already worn muscles to move, propelling her to the raised embankment.

A sudden 'falling' sensation followed as she tried to climb out. Zoe hit the pavement as a very wet human in tattered clothes.

_At least I'm alive. _She breathed.

The dragon symbol of her left hand flashed once more before vanishing.

* * *

"Garrgghhh…"

"Hey, be careful there." Janet knelt down and helped Sekata into a sitting position.

Coughing, Sekata looked down at the ripped remains of his silver jeans. A cold draft blew past, causing the half-naked man to shiver involuntarily.

"Here, this should help." Janet passed him a black jacket, which Sekata gratefully accepted.

"Where are we?" Sekata asked.

"It's the car repair shop where I work." Janet replied. "Or at least, that's how it seems to go."

"I know." Sekata nodded, glancing around the various shelves, tools and cars parked within the building. "This is a crazy world we're stuck in. Heard anything form Zoe?"

"No, not yet."

"Then we'd better…"

"Don't rush it." Janet held a hand up. "Chaosdramon won't do anything to Zoe, or he wouldn't have bothered to call. It's you that he really wants."

"Yes, I do agree with that." Sekata pulled on a pair of worker's boots. "But that's not a good reason to keep Zoe waiting."

A pail suddenly toppled over, causing a loud crash that had both heads turning.

"Is anyone else here?" Sekata hissed. Their area was lit only by a small lamp, making it impossible to see the exact source of the sound.

"No, it's the middle of the night." Janet whispered her reply. "I opened the back door myself."

"Did you lock it behind you?"

"Erm…no…"

Sekata immediately switched their light off as Janet and himself crouched low, waiting intensely. Someone was definitely here…and closing in on their location.

Janet then nudged Sekata's shoulder with a 'follow me' motion. Crawling along the ground, Janet led her companion to the wall and down to the right. Presumably, it was towards an exit.

Neither one had gotten very far before all the room's lights suddenly came on.

"Well that sucked." Janet sighed.

Now that the room was fully lit, Sekata got his first clear look at the area. Janet and him had been on a raised section in the Northeastern corner, with several computers behind them.

To the south were the parking lots for the vehicles, all in various states of repair. Dozens of tools were also scattered around the path, but most of the equipment was arranged neatly on shelves at the other side of the room.

A man in a black suit suddenly jumped onto the table beside Sekata. He was easily recognizable as the first man who'd attacked him earlier, and was still wearing his sunglasses despite it being the middle of the night.

With a fierce yell, Sekata shot his foot out, intending to topple the metal table over. What he did however, was smash its legs to pieces, sending his foe to the ground.

"Run, Mr. X is back!" Janet pulled Sekata's hand as she scrambled away.

"Mr. X?" Sekata asked curiously.

"Well, we need something to call these weirdoes."

"Then I suppose that this is Mr. Y! Duck!" Sekata knocked Janet to the ground as a dagger flew over their heads.

The new attacker was the second opponent Sekata had faced earlier in the day. The black suit was standing directly below a lamp, making it easier to see that he had a more Asian look as compared to his Western companion.

"Hargh!" Sekata sprang up with a rising kick.

Y caught his leg with one hand and hurled the morph into the ceiling, sending shattered glass and bits of plaster flying everywhere. After which, Sekata hit the ground with a loud groan.

Mr. X was approaching from the rear and Janet snatched up a wrench off the floor. Throwing it like a boomerang, the mechanic sent it spinning towards her pursuer.

X simply raised a hand and blocked the attack. The wrench broke into two pieces which clattered loudly across the floor.

"They're not human, that's for sure!" Janet exclaimed.

Almost as if in response, X pulled out a handgun and fired. Janet saw the bullets coming, but the strange thing was that she saw them in slow motion. One by one, the morph dodged each bullet simply by twisting and moving her body.

The next instant, Janet found ten bullet holes in the wall, but not a single scratch on her. A dragon-head symbol was also glowing on her left fist, giving off a soft, reddish shine.

"I've got it too!" She whispered.

In the midst of the fight, neither of the two had noticed a strange fog creeping into the room. The mist of a Digital Field.

X was reloading his pistol for another round and Janet snatched a fire extinguisher off the wall.

"Sekata! Heads up!" Janet tossed the fire extinguisher into X's line of fire. The bullets blew the fire extinguisher apart in a mini-explosion which gave the morphs time to get away.

By the time the view cleared out, X and Y were left standing in the room by themselves.

"Another Digital Field." Y sounded. "They're getting more and more frequent."

"Their powers are being intensified." X confirmed.

"Indeed, and that is the reason for these portals being opened. The gap between our two worlds is being breached, merging them into one."

"And that will spell disaster. We must hurry then…"

* * *

"Hey, look there bro!" Rain yelled over the roar of the motorcycle's engine.

"Where?"

"By the side of the road! Someone's waving to us!"

Steve pulled the motorcycle over and opened his helmet's visor to have a better look. A dripping wet girl in tatters was kneeling by the side, signaling desperately to them.

"Are you all right?" Steve asked, jumping off the bike.

The dragon-head symbol on his left hand suddenly glowed…as did a similar one on the girl's hand.

"Huh?" Steve gasped. "You have this too?"

"Steve? Steve, it's you!"

"Zoe?" The blond dashed forward and caught Zoe as she collapsed into his arms.

"Am I glad to see you." Zoe panted.

"Things going badly?"

"The usual."

"Oh great, what else is new?" Steve sighed.

"Yeah, I thought it was you." Rain knelt by her side and offered Zoe his jacket. "I recognized you from the photographs."

"Photographs?" Zoe pulled the jacket on.

"Yeah, Rain and I found them back at our place. Where we live in this reality at least." Steve replied. "But what I'm more…"

"We might have to continue this later!" Zoe warned. "It's coming!"

"What is?"

"The Digital Field!"

Steve then noticed that the area was unusually foggy. The entire row of shops was all dark and the streets were void of any life as far as eye could see. Even though the street lamps lining the road were all lit, it was definitely more difficult to see.

BOOM! The entire group was thrown to the ground as it suddenly trembled.

"What the hell was that?" Steve sprang to his feet in surprise.

Zoe looked down into a puddle of water…which vibrated as another rumble shook the area.

"I think it's here." Rain got to his feet and walked to the nearest building, a two-story shop. Peering around the corner, the youth noticed nothing out of the ordinary and shook his head.

The wall suddenly erupted behind him, throwing Rain to the ground as a gigantic head burst out. It belonged to a dinosaur standing taller than the building, a Brachiosaurus type. This particular species of dinosaur were massive, four legged vegetarians with long necks and tails.

However, this Digimon instead had a ferocious, armored lizard-like head with glowing yellow eyes. The rest of its body was also ablaze with orange flames that covered everything other than its padded feet and a couple of glowing crystals on its chest.

The fiery beast also had four 'mini-volcanoes' on its back, similar to a camel's humps.

Appropriately, this Digimon was named Volcdramon. And it stomped on the ground, sending out a shockwave that hurled everyone to the floor for the second time.

Its tail swung about wildly, hitting into the side of a nearby building. Huge pieces of concrete fell and threatened to crush a terrified Rain beneath them.

"NNOOO!" Steve cried, charging forward.

_I won't lose another brother! I can't! Not if I can do something about it!_

As if in response to his desire, a ring of Digicode formed around his right hand. Steve brought it up to the glowing symbol on his left, placing the two together in mid-leap.

"Matrix Evolution!"

The morph first saw his face bulge out into a reptilian snout that was quickly covered by a silver helmet. His shirt ripped apart as Steve's muscles grew more than double in proportion, right into their armor-clad Wargreymon X form.

Hands turned into claws and toes into talons before the weapons were added on. And those weapons were the deadly Dramon Killer Claws.

With a click, shield plates on his back snapped together as the stubby tail emerged. The rest of his body quickly followed, becoming the gleaming golden and silver armor that Steve was so accustomed to by now.

"Wargreymon!"

Steve got his body between Rain and the falling rocks, knocking them away with his shield plates. Rain still stumbled and fell, but was otherwise unscratched.

"Bro…" Rain gasped.

"You all right?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Good, then watch out!"

Volcdramon suddenly turned all its aggression towards Steve and spewed a huge wave of flames in his direction. Shoving Rain to safety, Steve brought up his shield plates in either hand and blocked the attack.

It was working, but seriously turning up the heat on Steve's side.

The Wargreymon pushed harder and Volcdramon in turn intensified its flames. However, Steve's perseverance was steadily, though slowly, winning the war. Inch by inch, Steve was moving himself forward.

He had almost reached Volcdramon when the dinosaur suddenly swung its long neck forward. Caught by surprise, Steve was knocked onto his back and barely managed to scramble to his knees before Volcdramon stomped down upon him.

Having nearly been crushed, Steve grunted as he tried to maintain his position down on one knee.

"No, this isn't going to happen!" The morph roared.

Steve pushed off the ground and shot forward, tossing his shield plates aside. His whirling body was instantly consumed by the flames, which formed into a fiery tornado due to his spinning.

"Dramon Killer!" Steve spun right through Volcdramon's leg, up into its body and neck, and finally out from the top of its head.

The dinosaur howled as it collapsed, defeated by the sudden strike. Its body slowly disintegrated into data particles, leaving a moaning and charred Wargreymon panting on the ground.

"Another Digimon…" Zoe muttered.

"Hey…" Steve breathed. "You two…ok?"

"We're fine, but…"

"Ugh…don't worry about me bro." Rain staggered to his feet.

"That's good…" Steve managed before he collapsed, changing back into human form as he hit the ground.

"Steve!" Zoe dashed to his side. "He's passed out from exhaustion."

"Zoe…" Rain hesitated. "There's something we need to tell you. Back at our house, Steve and I found several photos of the three of us together."

"Hmm?"

"It showed the three of us as younger humans."

"Could it be?" Zoe gasped, looking up.

* * *

"Is it just me, or is that Digital Field actually following us?" Janet panted.

"I really don't know what to expect." Sekata replied.

Having escaped from the black suits in the workshop, the pair had blindly dashed out onto the road. And much to their dismay, straight into a thick gray fog that Sekata recognized as a Digital Field. Hoping to avoid another battle, the duo had run till their muscles burned with exhaustion.

But no matter how far they ran, the mist seemed to be constantly behind them.

"I'm through with running!" Sekata declared, pulling himself to a halt. "I'll fight."

"Sure you'll make it?" Janet asked with concern. "You still look…"

"I'll be fine." Sekata insisted. The dragon head symbol on his right hand suddenly begun to glow.

"That light again…" Janet muttered. She had a dragon symbol of her own blazing, although hers was on the left.

"Did you hear that?" Sekata waved a hand towards the sky.

"Huh? No I…" Janet stopped short. She had, in fact, heard the noise and it was almost like the jet engines of a plane.

"Incoming!" Sekata warned.

All Janet saw was a sparkle in the night sky before her instincts took over.

Sekata flipped over the plane-shaped Digimon in a graceful maneuver and Janet slid beneath it. She could literally feel the heat of the jets for that instant, before the Digimon sped off.

"Did you see what it was?" Janet breathed.

"Pteranomon X." Sekata grunted. "Here he comes again!"

True to its name, Pteranomon took on the structure of an ancient flying reptile from Earth's Cretaceous era, known as the Pteranodon. However the Digimon version was covered from beak to talon in a set of black metal armor.

Its wings were triangular and built just like the wings of a fighter jet, complete with guns and missiles mounted beneath them. The tail stuck out and spread into three sections, exactly like a plane's as well. Even the forehead of the beast had a translucent section that resembled a cockpit.

The flying reptile was a perfect cross between beast and machine, screeching as it swooped in to launch a second attack.

Janet dove out of the way and crashed into a street lamp in the process. However with her arms held covering her head, the morph snapped the lamppost in half instead.

On the other side, Sekata found himself sprinting as Pteranomon went for him. With the wall of a building suddenly in front of his face, Sekata leapt up and planted his feet against the wall.

The seconds slowed as he pushed off, somersaulting over the flyer's head. That left Pteranomon to smash through the wall, shattering glass panels in the windows with a loud crash.

"Nice job." Janet ran over.

"I'm very sure of it." Sekata remarked, looking down at the dragon symbol on his hand. "We're more than just human. Besides our evolution abilities, some of our Digimon traits have also carried over."

"Yeah, figures." Janet replied, shooting a glance at the broken lamppost.

Suddenly, the remainder of the wall above them blew up as Pteranomon burst out. Before either could react, tons of debris rained down upon them.

* * *

But that kicked in was more of an instinct by now.

"Rrrarrrgghh!" Sekata smashed his way out as a roaring Dorugoramon. "Janet!"

A similar roar sounded as Janet emerged in her black armored Gaioumon form. Greatly resembling BlackWargreymon in structure, Gaioumon was instead outfitted in a set of samurai armor and equipped with a pair of twin oriental blades.

"You should know by now not to worry about me." The dragoness grinned.

"Humph. Then let's get 'em!" Sekata spread his wings and took to the sky, chasing after the already airborne Pteranomon X.

The flyer had turned around by this time and sent a volley of missiles at Sekata in its trademark attack, Sidewinder. Sekata dodged some of the missiles and whacked others away with his claws. He was easily more powerful than his foe, and the Dorugoramon was sure of it.

Pteranomon wasn't able to do anything as Sekata pounded the back of its head, sending the reptile spinning to the ground. And just in time for Janet to strike it with a glowing orange sword.

"Rinkazan!" The mini explosion shattered Pteranomon in a shower in data particles.

"That was pretty much overkill." Sekata remarked as he landed on the street.

"Erm…" Janet suddenly looked up. "Why hasn't the Digital Field dispersed yet? Didn't the one from earlier do that?"

"Yes, it did. But… uh oh, it's not over yet!"

Janet didn't really have time to ask as a series of missiles exploded between the two. Three more Pteranomon swooped onto the scene, forcing the duo to dive for cover amongst the building debris.

"I'll lead some away!" Sekata called, taking to the sky. Two Pteranomon followed him, leaving one to deal with Janet.

"All right, bring it on flyboy!" The Gaioumon hissed.

Pteranomon fired a missile which caught Janet off guard. Although her armor absorbed most of the impact, the force still blew the katana out of her left hand.

"Ouch…fine be that way." She grimaced in frustration. The morph was feeling a lot more exhausted than she expected herself to be.

The evolution had come with a quick burst of energy, but now it was as if something were sapping her strength.

_It's like we can't stay in out Digimon forms for too long. Not in this world at least. So that means that I've got to finish this quickly!_

The Pteranomon screeched as it made another round. The flyer shot off more missiles this time, but Janet was better prepared. Grasping her katana tightly with both hands, Janet swung its flat end in a wide arc, slapping the missiles aside.

Two buildings on either side of the road were hit, blowing part of their walls out. Ignoring the explosions around her, Janet concentrated all her remaining energy and focused on the approaching target.

Pteranomon was now charging in for a close range attack. At the last possible instant, Janet stepped aside and brought her blade down. The two halves of the enemy Digimon fell to the ground and exploded in a cloud of data particles.

"Huugghh…whew…" Janet panted, raising her eyes. "When did it take so much out of me just to defeat one armor level Digimon?"

"Janet!" It was Sekata's voice.

"You're done already?" Her vision was shaky and blurred, but the dragoness roughly recognized Sekata's features. A pillar of Digicode surrounded Janet as she changed back into human form.

The mechanic's overalls she wore were badly ripped up by her transformation, but at least still wearable.

_Hey, was Sekata wearing red earlier? _Janet wondered.

The figure in front of her suddenly rushed forward and slammed his elbow into her face. Janet hit the ground with a loud thud, knocked out cold by the blow.

"Grrr…" Chaosdramon in human form snarled, holding up his hand.

Blue energy was swirling around it. Energy left over from Janet's light of evolution. And Chaosdramon knew that he could make use of it to assume his actual form. Letting off a scream, Chaosdramon allowed the energy to flow into his body.

The scream soon turned into a roar as the mechanical dragon appeared in his Digimon form.

His shiny red armor gleamed under the light of the remaining street lamps, as did the huge pair of cannons mounted on his shoulders.

Turning his eyes towards the sky, Chaosdramon traced Sekata's aerial battle from the ground and started running closer to its location.

* * *

Meanwhile, another figure hidden in the shadows had been observing the entire battle. He was also one of the mysterious men dressed completely in black.

However, he was a fourth man that none of the group had encountered before. If the two Sekata had fought were X and Y, then Zoe's pursuer would've been 'Z'. That left the title of 'W' for this remaining fellow.

Nevertheless, he silently disappeared into the shadows of an alley as Janet begun to stir.

* * *

Sekata turned left, making a tight corner around the building. The two Pteranomon were still hot on his tail, following him on an exhilarating chase round the city.

Dodging their missiles had been easy enough, but it was quickly wearing him down. And in his current state, Sekata could not afford a long, drawn out battle.

_All right… _The Dorugoramon thought as he approached the waterfront. _Time to get serious!_

He rose high above the buildings and suddenly changed course, plunging down towards the river. The Pteranomon duo was quick to follow, firing off their missiles. Sekata grinned as the shots whizzed past him and glanced down towards the water.

He'd constantly challenged the others to similar stunts and the silver dragon was sure he could pull it off. Moments before crashing, Sekata pulled up, feeling the water splashing all around.

The lead Pteranomon wasn't able to replicate the maneuver quickly enough and plunged into the water. It disappeared beneath the surface with a gurgled screech.

However, the second one managed to pull up in time, heading for Sekata again. The morph had already turned to face his now solitary opponent.

Unfortunately, something else stopped him first.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

"RRAARRGGHHH!"

The explosion blew the final Pteranomon to pieces and sent Sekata spiraling out of the sky.

_That attack…it's Chaosdramon. _Sekata realized, watching the ground approaching him at a rapid rate. _Can't keep up…gonna die…_

The pain coursing through his entire body had him on the verge of unconsciousness. Sekata could even see the smoke around his charred form as his eyes fell close.

_No! I'm not going to let him win!_

With a final burst of strength, Sekata veered to the right, smashing part of a building's roof in the process. Ending up in the water with a loud splash, the Dorugoramon struggled against the cold, dark waters.

Chaosdramon lumbered to the river bank and glanced down at the group of bubbles rising to the surface.

"Humph." The mechanical dragon huffed.

"Not yet!" Sekata suddenly sprang out of the water and latched his claws onto Chaosdramon's shoulders.

Pulling his body backwards, the morph hurled his screeching opponent into the river.

"Too bad I don't die so easily!" He managed, before dropping to his knees by the water's edge.

However, a second surprise was in store for Sekata as Chaosdramon's claws reached out and pulled him beneath the surface.

In that moment of panic, Chaosdramon grasped him from behind, wrapping his arms around Sekata's body, arms and wings. The mechanical dragon sank to the bottom, dragging his struggling opponent with him.

"I don't need to breathe." Chaosdramon laughed. "But I know you do!"

The grip was like a vice and all of Sekata's struggling didn't help in the least. Whipping his tail against Chaosdramon's legs didn't do any good and he wasn't at an appropriate angle to use his talons effectively.

Sekata's mind screamed with horror as he realized that Chaosdramon fully intended to drown him down here.

A shadowed figure suddenly rammed Chaosdramon from behind. Its shimmering blade flashed as it slashed at the mechanical dragon's shoulder, forcing Chaosdramon to release his hold.

Feeling a tug on his arm, Sekata looked up into the eyes of Janet as the Gaioumon dragged him back to the surface.

"That was a close one." Janet gasped, pulling him to the relative safety of the street.

In the midst of coughing and regurgitating excess water from his system, Sekata managed a quick 'thank you' nod.

Chaosdramon soon jumped out onto the river bank, splashing water about as he roared in fury.

"Poseidon Force!"

A blue ball of watery energy suddenly slammed into the red dragon's back, throwing him across the street.

"Sorry I'm so late." Steve smirked, landing beside the two. "Changing into Wargreymon took a lot more out of me than I expected."

"Better late than never." Janet returned his grin. "Sekata, you hang back and recover. Leave him to us!"

The pair of armored dragons charged and immediately engaged Chaosdramon in a furious hack and slash match.

"Sekata!" Zoe, in Imperialdramon Fighter form, ran up to his side.

"Zoe, you're all right."

"I should be the one saying that about you!"

"Yeah, but I'll finish him off this time!" Sekata struggled to his feet.

"Wait Sekata!" Zoe grabbed his shoulder. "You shouldn't fight him. He doesn't have any bad intentions, he's just misguided."

"Misguided or not, you do know that he just tried to drown me and kidnapped you earlier."

"I know! But I managed to talk to him too. And he's not just the plain machine you expect him to be!"

"Hm?"

"He could think, feel when he was in human form, and I know he can learn." Zoe insisted. "Chaosdramon just doesn't understand. He's basically a newly created Digimon with too much power, like handing a hatching a gun!"

"Even if that's true, he's far too dangerous." Sekata waited a while before responding. "I'm going in!"

* * *

Ignoring Zoe's shouts from the rear, Sekata rushed into the heat of the battle.

Steve was currently darting around Chaosdramon's shots while Janet had ducked behind a building for cover.

"Quit with the aerobics Steve!" Janet yelled. "You're just gonna tire yourself out!"

"Hey, this is everything I've learnt from being Flamedramon!" Steve called back, spinning around a couple of lasers. "It'll take a lot more than this to wear me out!"

True enough, Chaosdramon eventually had to stop firing and recharge his shoulder cannons. And Steve knew this was his chance to make a move.

The Wargreymon X was met with a swift arm blow that he managed to block with his claw weapons. However, the impact sent him flying, dropping his Dramon Killers in the process.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Janet leapt forward and stabbed one of her swords into Chaosdramon's left side. That was as far as she got before Chaosdramon hit her with his other hand.

Janet's sword was left stuck in Chaosdramon's stomach as the Gaioumon was thrown into the air.

Her other weapon clattered noisily to the ground as Janet managed to upright herself in mid-spin. The morph landed on the side of a building, digging her claws and talons into the brick walls.

Chaosdramon snarled as he raised his left arm to fire the laser hidden within his palm. Janet tensed as the open sections glowed with energy.

Then, Sekata entered the scene. The Dragon Morphs' leader rolled forward, taking hold of Janet's dropped sword and throwing it forward. His aim was true, sending the blade directly into the palm. The laser's mechanism was beyond being able to stop, and its attempted discharge resulted in a chamber explosion that blew Chaosdramon's left arm off.

Janet's sword was tossed away and landed further down the road, out of reach. However, the damage had certainly been done.

The mechanical dragon glanced at his severed limb and roar in fury. He didn't feel any pain, but the move had certainly frustrated him.

"Great one!" Janet cheered. "Get my other sword! It's still stuck in his stomach!"

Sekata lowered his body and charged, the barbed tail of his dragon form swinging rhythmically behind him. Chaosdramon was expecting the move and fired with his remaining palm-mounted laser.

However, Sekata threw himself down on all fours, allowing the laser to fly over his back. Using his momentum, the Dorugoramon flipped forward with his front claws planted firmly on the ground. His feet went up and straight into Chaosdramon's face, followed up with a whack from his barbed tail.

The mechanical dragon stumbled as Sekata completed his flip, giving the morph enough time to pull Janet's sword from Chaosdramon's stomach.

A quick swing of the blade sliced Chaosdramon's other arm off at the shoulder joint. Chaosdramon kicked in retaliation, sending Sekata into a wall and leaving the impression of his body in it.

"Hargh!" Steve jumped in from the other side with both his claw weapons now ready. He cut Chaosdramon's tail clean off and continued to pierce his claws into the machine's left knee joint.

Chaosdramon abruptly spun his body and threw Steve off. Janet was back in action by this time, leaping onto the machine's back and grasping her arms around his neck. Without his arms, Chaosdramon couldn't toss her off as easily.

As the two struggled, Sekata urged his aching body back to his feet. Taking note of Janet's position, Sekata lashed out with the bladed end of his tail.

Its sharp end got stuck in the left side of Chaosdramon's stomach. Smirking, the mechanical dragon lifted his left leg, maintaining his balance in the midst of the struggle, and stomped down on Sekata's tail.

The Dorugoramon's eyes went wide as an ear-splitting crunch sounded. He managed to pull his tail away, but at least half of it was twisted at an odd angle and useless.

"Sekata!" Janet cried.

Her grip loosened at this time, allowing Chaosdramon to finally throw her off.

"Nobody breaks my tail and gets away with it." Sekata gritted his fangs in pain. "Even if we can't hurt him, we'll keep at it till we completely rip him apart!"

Channeling the pain into his fury, Sekata fell upon Chaosdramon with his claws. Steve took that as a cue and was quick enough to back his comrade up.

In his badly damaged state, Chaosdramon couldn't deal with two swift opponents hacking at his legs. He lost both limbs as a result and tumbled to the ground, landing flat on his chest.

* * *

"You're finished!" Sekata snarled.

"Grrrr… Hyper Mugen Cannon!" Chaosdramon still had his shoulder cannons functional and positioned them to fire.

"Positron Laser!" A blue laser beam flashed across the scene and blew Chaosdramon's cannons apart. Zoe stood further behind, with her arm raised and the blaster mounted there held up to shoulder level.

The desire to protect her friends was too great, despite Zoe's unwillingness to fire. However, Sekata didn't take it that way.

All he could see was red as the Dorugoramon assaulted his armless, legless and tailess foe with a wild hail of slashes. Chaosdramon let out a furious howl as Sekata's claws tore into his body.

Even Steve and Janet held back in the wake of Sekata's rampage.

Sekata eventually broke the mechanical dragon's neck, sending his head rolling away. It was still snarling however and Sekata noticed the binding symbol on the inner section of Chaosdramon's upper jaw.

_That's it!_

He immediately sprang over and grabbed the mechanical dragon's severed head. Using his claws, Sekata pried Chaosdramon's jaws open. A gurgled screech came out as he resisted, but the advantage was clearly on Sekata's side by now.

The Dorugoramon used one claw and a knee to hold the jaws open while he raised his other claw to strike.

"This is over!" Sekata roared.

"Sekata! Don't!" Zoe grabbed his arm. "Please."

"Grrr…"

"Don't Sekata. I know you're just fighting because you're angry, and who wouldn't be? But he doesn't deserve this." Zoe insisted. "Give him a chance to understand."

"Zoe…"

"Remember when you were in there?"

Sekata closed his eyes as the scene flashed through his mind. Back when his soul had been placed in the machine, he'd almost received the fatal strike to his binding symbol.

It was the same strike that he was seconds away from delivering.

_I would never stoop to the level of an abomination like you! _He remembered shouting at AncientGreymon once. _I am NOTHING LIKE YOU!_

_Considering how much we're already alike…_

_It would be so much easier for Death-Xmon to assimilate you._

"It's not his fault he's this way. He didn't have a choice." Zoe's voice snapped Sekata out of his thoughts. "But you do. And I think it's that choice, being able to make that choice, which separates you…from him."

Sekata knelt poised there for a long while.

Finally, the Dorugoramon lowered his claws and instead used his knees to force Chaosdramon's jaws shut. The head was still squirming about, but Sekata held it firmly nevertheless.

"Only problem is, what do we do with him now?" Janet asked out loud.


	49. Homecoming

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Homecoming**

By nightdragon0

Sekata shoved the head of Chaosdramon into a box at the back of Rain's motorbike and slammed the cover. He'd made sure to tie its jaws shut first, for the head was making much more noise than he could take.

"Whoa, you guys definitely made a mess of this place." Rain commented, glancing around.

The rest of the group were back to human form and had met up with Rain, who'd ridden the motorbike to the bridge they now stood on. The structure was an elevated one, giving them a good look at the destruction their battle had caused in the city square.

"We're definitely attracting way too much attention." Janet nodded.

"The Chaosdramon problem may be out of the way, but right now, I think we need to concentrate on the reality problem." Sekata spoke up.

"Except that there's no obvious solution to that." Steve sighed.

"Well, how about those men in black that keep attacking us?" Janet suggested.

"Men in black?" Steve stared.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that Steve hasn't encountered them yet." Zoe realized. "Rain, could you put Chaosdramon…well, somewhere secure first?"

"You have any suggestions?" Rain scratched his head.

"Lock him up in our mansion's storeroom. That'll definitely be enough to hold him." Steve decided. "And wait for me there. I'll give you a call."

"Will do bro." Rain strapped his helmet on, cranking the bike's engine to life. The rider sped off with Chaosdramon's head safely secured in the rear box.

"He certainly learns how this world works pretty fast." Zoe remarked. "Faster than we did on the opposite side at least."

"Have you seen a dragon symbol on his hand or anything?" Janet asked. "You know, like ours?"

"Definitely not." Steve replied. "I already confirmed it with him. And by the way, what men in black were you talking about earlier?"

"Well, you see…" Zoe began.

"Erm, how about the one standing right over there!" Janet pointed.

The four whirled around to find a fourth black suit standing on the road behind them. And this was one that none of the group had encountered before…

* * *

"Man, he looks out of place." Steve muttered.

"Oh sure, and the four of us in tatters and rags looks perfectly normal." Janet snapped sarcastically.

Sekata and Zoe joined them in leaping to defensive stances, readying the glowing dragon head symbols on their hands.

Surprisingly, the black suit didn't advance any further, but raised his hands and spoke.

"I have come not to fight, but to talk."

Something about the aura of the voice seemed familiar to Sekata, but he wasn't about to start taking chances. With his fingers, the morph gestured for each of his three companions to watch the other directions and approached the strange man.

"Who are you?" Sekata demanded.

"I believe you already know, for we have met before." The black suit pulled down his sunglasses, revealing an odd, fiery glow in his eyes. "You were Vritramon then."

"I still am, but….hmm?" Sekata looked down at the dragon image on his hand. Slowly, it changed to become an orange Kanji symbol.

The Kanji for 'minami', or the South.

"I gave you that mark if you remember."

"Could it be?" Sekata gasped. "Zhuqiaomon?"

"Zhuqiaomon? One of the four God Megas?" Zoe wondered.

As if to answer that question, a shadowy form of the phoenix rose up behind the black suit. The image was semi-translucent, but retained the orange tint of Zhuqiaomon's feathers.

His body was as Sekata remembered it, a gigantic bird with two sets of wings on his back and a tail like a dragon's. Even from the image, it was possible to make out the reddish glow in Zhuqiaomon's eyes and the yellowish mane at the back of his head.

One prominent feature was a set of shimmering red orbs that hovered around the Digital deity's neck.

"Yes and no." Both the mouth of the human and the beak of Zhuqiaomon's image moved. "This human form you speak to is being controlled by myself. Although he may speak in his own voice and manner, he was created by me for this purpose."

"Purpose?" Janet asked.

"I am not able to leave my domain and enter this world myself. Doing so would further disrupt the flow of reality. A disruption, which has been caused by you."

* * *

"Hey, what are you accusing us for?" Steve snapped. "It's not our fault that we…"

"Calm down Steve." Zoe tugged his arm. "It's important that we hear him out."

"The reality shift initially begun when the four of you were brought to the Digital World." Zhuqiaomon's avatar explained. "You may already know that your existence in the human world was erased and replaced by one in the Digital World. As such was the law of space and time, you were supposed to lose the memories of your original world and gain ones of yourselves here, in the Digital World."

"But something went wrong, didn't it?" Zoe spoke up. "We kept the memories of our human pasts instead."

"Indeed, and through contact with one of your group, I learnt this fact. However, I made the decision to hold back for the moment."

"But our Digimon memories started to come up." Zoe noted. "When our two sets of memories begun to clash, then the reaction of the Chaos Shards…all this happened."

"I'm confused." Steve moaned, scratching his head.

"Thus, you are also the cause of the disturbances in this reality."

"You're referring to the Digital Fields?" Sekata questioned.

"I am." Zhuqiaomon's avatar nodded. "And in order to restore the balance, you would have to return to the Digital World and give up your memories of the human world."

This statement caused startled gasps to emerge from the party.

"But why not the other way round?" Steve finally found his voice.

"Even in this world, you are drawing upon your powers of evolution. That links you more strongly to the Digital World."

"Then why the memories?" Janet asked. "What's so important about them?"

"To gain something of great value, you must sacrifice something of equal value." Zhuqiaomon spoke, not answering the question directly.

"Wait, if you control this form…" Zoe trailed off. "Then the other three must be controlled by…"

"You are correct. They are indeed my brethren, Qinglongmon (Azulongmon) of the East, Xuanwumon of the North and Baihumon of the West."

"Then, is that why they've been after us?" She continued. "To remove our human memories and return us to the Digital World?"

"No." Was Zhuqiaomon's reply. "They seek the other possible solution….to remove you from existence entirely."

* * *

"What?" Janet blurted out. "They think that by killing us they can solve all their damned problems?"

"In theory, it does make sense." Zoe whispered. "Though I'm hardly in agreement with the practical part."

"Where do you stand in this?" Sekata directed a firm question at Zhuqiaomon.

"Although I do not share in the same intentions as my brethren, my interests are the same." The phoenix responded. "To restore the balance of reality."

"And how?"

"That is a decision I want you to make for yourselves." Zhuqiaomon continued in his ever hypothetical tone. "However, the others seek out you and your companions. Like this one here…"

The group of four turned around for yet another surprise. The Asian, black suited man was now walking towards them with his hands in his pockets. A bluish glow flashed as the shadowy image of Qinglongmon rose up behind him.

It was an Eastern style blue dragon, whose serpent-like body seemed to be made out of clouds and lightning held together by a series of chains. Several small pairs of white wings were visible along his back, though more for decoration as this dragon's means of flight were more on a mystical plane.

A white mane and beard protruded from beneath a blue and yellow lightning bolt decorated mask, giving him a very ancient but wise look. Like Zhuqiaomon, a distinctive feature was the set of glowing blue orbs. However, they floated around each of Qinglongmon's four limbs instead of the neck.

"Step aside." Qinglongmon boomed, obviously directing his voice at Zhuqiaomon. "You know what must be done."

"This is only how you see it as." The phoenix responded with the same dissatisfaction.

"Unfortunately for you, we're not intending to let you do as you please!" Sekata roared, leaping up and changing into his Dorugoramon form at the same time.

The image of Qinglongmon swung its massive tail and knocked Sekata down, much to the latter's astonishment. Sekata hit the ground hard, leaving a huge crater in the road.

It wasn't the end of his misfortune as blue electricity crackled throughout his body. An aftereffect of touching Qinglongmon's body that left him howling in pain.

"Sekata!" Zoe, Steve and Janet shifted into their Digimon forms as well. Each one launched off his or her projectile, Positron Laser, Poseidon Force and Gaia Reactor respectively.

The God of the East rained down a hail of blue lightning bolts that blew their projectiles away. However, there were more bolts that necessary, forcing the group to start ducking and dodging the rest.

Qinglongmon then spun his serpentine body, sending out a strong gust of wind that took the other dragons off their feet.

All of a sudden, the image of Zhuqiaomon ploughed into his Eastern counterpart. Huge waves of energy shot out as the two clashed.

"Go." The Southern God ordered. "Your friend is in danger."

"Rain? Are you taking about Rain?" Steve shouted.

"Let's hurry!" Janet pulled his arm. "We can catch up with him."

The four dragons took to the sky, leaving Zhuqiaomon and Qinglongmon to their own struggle.

"Do you truly believe in these mortals so much?" Qinglongmon growled.

"Their leader may have passed my trial in the past, but they are also the ones chosen by Omegamon. His power is fading and the CHAOS may not remain sealed for much longer."

"It is not our duty to interfere in their affairs." Qinglongmon reminded him. "The CHAOS is a problem mortals must face for themselves. And Omegamon keeping it in-between the worlds only served to complicate matters."

"Well they interest me." Zhuqiaomon said calmly.

"Another one of your games?" The Eastern deity taunted.

"There still is a way for them to correct this reality shift. But only if they should choose to accept it."

"And you are suggesting?"

"We leave the decision up to the mortals." The phoenix said with a grin. "And then my friend, perhaps you'll understand why they interest me so much."

* * *

Sure enough, it wasn't difficult for the flying dragons to catch up with Rain's motorcycle, especially when he'd ridden back into town. The only problem was the two black suits surroundings the downed biker.

"Rain!" Steve yelled, alerting the attackers to their entrance. "Get out of there!"

"Sorry bro!" Rain panted, jumping to his feet and taking cover behind a line of safety barriers.

Two more images appeared behind the black suits.

One was that of a white tiger with purple stripes and an elaborately decorated purple mask that hid his eyes from view. Pieces of his armor included a row of spikes running down his back, a pair of gauntlets around his front legs, and spiked metal rings around his rear limbs and tail.

He too had a circle of glowing yellow orbs floating around his waist.

The other was best described as a mix between a two-headed turtle and an ancient tree. More specifically, the tree seemed to grow out of the brown turtle's shell. His circle of orbs was around the tree, hanging down as if they were fruits of sorts.

Baihumon and Xuanwumon respectively.

"Gaia Force!" Steve called out his attack, hurling a huge ball of energy at the two.

The images of the Digital Gods moved, Baihumon leaping over the attack while Xuanwumon turned to his side, blocking out the shot. The former swiftly ploughed into Zoe and Janet, knocking them aside.

"Brave Metal!" Sekata's body blazed with flames as he charged, slamming into the guardian of the West.

Huge amounts of energy sizzled as the two struggled, finally ending with Sekata skidding backwards before rolling head-over-heels.

"Grrr…why does this keep happening?"

A sudden pain ran into his mind and Sekata realized that he was lying on his broken tail. Changing forms hadn't healed the injury and it still hurt rather badly.

Zoe stepped forward and fired off several Positron Lasers, which Baihumon deflected with a swipe of his claws. Subsequently, the armored dragons were forced to dodge the redirected lasers.

Walls crumbled above them as the lasers blew buildings apart, showering Sekata and Zoe with falling debris.

Steve and Janet combined their projectile attacks into a single energy ball that struck Xuanwumon dead on. The Digital deity lowered his heads and caught the attacks against his shell. With a shake of his massive body, Xuanwumon dispersed the energy ball as if it were a mere sparkle.

The turtle then stomped the ground, sending out shockwaves that the morphs avoided by taking to the sky. However, many chunks of the road were suddenly thrown up and into their faces, sending both back down to the ground.

"Damn, none of our attacks are working." Sekata snarled under his breath. "We're fighting a losing battle here."

"Any other ideas?" Zoe whispered.

Sekata was about to reply when a couple of bright lights flashed across the sky. The glowing images of Zhuqiaomon and Qinglongmon slowly descended.

"Stop now." Qinglongmon ordered, causing his two comrades to look up. "This matter can be settled by other means."

Baihumon and Xuanwumon ceased their assault and stepped into place beside Zhuqiaomon and Qinglongmon.

"We shall discuss this in a more private place, perhaps?" Qinglongmon turned to address Sekata and his party.

* * *

"We're willing to hear you out." Sekata replied of behalf of his friends.

"Not like we have much of a choice anyway." Steve whispered, receiving a sharp jab in the ribs from Janet.

As the four dragons watched, the city and buildings around them faded away, giving rise to a dark void. Staring in awe, the group backed into each other as the God Megas appeared before them.

All four were still in their semi-translucent images, but the human forms they had controlled were nowhere to be seen. None of the Gods were physically present, but instead communicating from his own realm in a place unknown to all.

"Time grows short and this breach in reality much be corrected in order to avert disaster." Qinglongmon's voice echoed throughout the darkest reaches of the void.

"It is all as I have explained before." Zhuqiaomon continued. "Repairing the breach is a choice you have to make."

"Does it really have to be this way?" Sekata looked up.

"You cannot exist both as humans and as Digimon." Qinglongmon told him. "That is the way of things."

"But our original world, it will still exist right?" Zoe asked.

"Indeed, but it does so without your presence. The Digital World, on the other hand, has been permanently altered by your actions."

"In other words, we played bigger parts in affecting the Digital World than we did for the human world." Janet huffed. "That's not very fair, isn't it?"

"What if we had wanted it to be the other way round?" Steve added in.

"Tell me mortals…" Baihumon suddenly spoke. "What can you recall of your past now? As Digimon?"

Steve was taken aback, but Sekata stepped forward.

"I know I was a Battle Card champion, as well as an underground pit fighter at a time." The Dorugoramon closed his eyes. "But I guess, I got sick of it all. I left and went wild, living in that cave. The place that I first met you Zoe."

"That was after I ran away from that tangle with Steve and Janet." Zoe continued for him. "For now, I know I'm a descendant of one of the Original Royal Knights. And I was Steve's adopted sister, although I ended up running away too."

The Imperialdramon shot a quick glance over to Steve.

"When I just smacked into him again, I really didn't know what to make of it."

Steve paused, giving some thought to the matter, before voicing out 'his' own story.

"Yeah, what she said. With that, I was also the leader of the Digimetal Knights." The Wargreymon X lowered his voice. "So Rain…"

Letting the sentence trail off, Steve turned to see the surprised expressions on everyone's faces. All except for Zoe, whom he had discussed the matter with after rescuing her.

"For me, I was a mechanic and happening to be studying the secrets of a Digimon's evolution." It was Janet's turn. "Steve, Zoe and myself got into brawl at that clearing somehow. That's all I can place for now."

"It seems that you already know." The two heads of Xuanwumon spoke in unison. "By giving up your other sets of memories, these will become complete."

"But our current situation…" Zoe cut in. "And the Digital World, I mean…"

"All will remain as it is. Of that you can be assured."

Having no more questions, Zoe stepped back. The dragoness glanced over to Steve and Janet, who in turn looked towards Sekata.

Inwardly, the Dorugoramon sighed. He was still their 'leader' and the others were expecting him to voice out the decision. And truthfully, Steve had been right.

It wasn't much of a choice.

As much as his instincts screamed for him to fight tooth and nail to keep his memories, Sekata knew that his team didn't stand a chance against the four God Megas.

Some strange feeling made him shoot a quick glance over to Zhuqiaomon. The phoenix was silent and it was difficult to tell any thing from the look on his face. However, the thoughts of their earlier conversation flashed through Sekata's mind.

_To gain something of great value, you must sacrifice something of equal value…. Wait! That could be it! _

"What if we give up the memories of our Digimon pasts instead?"

* * *

The statement even had the Digital Gods surprised.

"It is possible." Qinglongmon answered. "However, you do realize that by doing so, you will keep memories of a past in the human world that never happened? And lose the memories of your Digimon pasts forever?"

"I guess my other side is a part of me that I just can't let go of." Sekata folded his arms. "Besides, it's those memories that made us what we are today."

"I agree with him." Zoe stepped forward. "As long as the memories exist, there's always hope right?"

"Yeah, me too." Janet nodded.

"I'll go with the flow." Steve shrugged. "Once I can figure out what's going on."

"Steve!" Everybody yelled.

"Ok, ok! Can't you all take a joke in this highly prestigious situation?"

"You'll never change." Janet moaned.

"If that is your choice mortals, then it can be done." Qinglongmon interrupted. "You must return to the Digital World now."

"How about the others?" Steve asked. "Rain and…"

"They will be returned as well." Zhuqiaomon assured. "Now, brace yourselves!"

As the void begun to tremble, Sekata could've sworn that the Southern deity shot him a brief wink.

However, the world around then started to spin…moving faster and faster by the second. Dorugoramon, Imperialdramon, Gaioumon and Wargreymon were all tossed about in a huge and violent tangle.

The spinning then came to an abrupt halt, slamming the four against what seemed like the wall. Orientating themselves, the party found themselves standing inside a long tunnel.

It was a relatively circular structure with dimensions that no one could seem to make out. Like the void from before, this tunnel was black all around except for the two ends. One end opened into whitish light while at the end of the other side, the exit was all black.

"Anyone get the number of that truck?" Janet grunted, staggering to her feet.

"I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Steve added in.

"This isn't the Digital World." Sekata voiced out. "So, where are we?"

"Lost, that's a possibility." Steve muttered.

"Anyone else feel that?" Zoe suddenly asked.

"What?" Sekata queried.

"That presence. It's very strong here."

"Presence?" Sekata wondered. "Wait, I think I somehow do."

"We haven't felt it since like…our first or second day as Digimon." Zoe continued.

All the screens of the group's D-Dragons lit up at once. Displayed on them was a circular symbol, almost like an eye and half a sun combined. But the group knew them better as the crests of Courage and Friendship.

_It has been a long time. _A voice reverberated in their minds, causing the startled group to glance around in surprise.

* * *

"Omegamon…it's you." Sekata gasped.

_Our time is short, but I will explain what I can. _The voice of Omegamon spoke directly into the dragons' minds, although it seemed soft and barely audible at times. _I once fought the entity know as CHAOS, sending it here, a dimension that exists between the Digital World and the Human World. While I was able to seal off its main body, CHAOS was more intelligent than I expected._

"And it sought out our world?" Zoe suggested.

_Yes, CHAOS released a small portion of itself, a 'Shade', into the Human World instead. What it needed was a suitable host to bring forth its full powers again. _Omegamon continued. _In my weakened state, I knew that I was no match for CHAOS if it were to recover. Therefore, the only option available to me was to send out Shades of my own, and find those suitable for battling the CHAOS and pass pm part of my powers to them._

"So, that was us?" Janet called. "And those 'men' that originally gave Sekata and Zoe the Digivices? Those were yours?"

_Indeed. And the rest you know._

"Us being dumped into the Digital World and all." Steve sighed.

_After our first encounter, I did not have the strength to contact you any more. _Omegamon's voice grew weaker. _But I'm glad to see you've overcome all the challenges that have come before you. And I believe that you'll find a way through this last one too…_

"Wait! How about you?" Zoe shouted. "Are you my ancestor then?"

"And the reality shift?" Steve pressed.

_In a way, everything was meant to be as it is now. That is why the Shades choose you. As those who've been through this dimension before can last far longer in it than any other._

"This Shade of CHAOS that you spoke of." Sekata rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What happened to it?"

_That I do not know. I was unable to trace it once it had entered the Human World. _Omegamon said with a pang of regret. _However, it could be that the Shade of CHAOS managed to cross over to the Digital World and has found a suitable host already. Or the host may be in the human world too. _

"It used the Human World as a transference point?"

_In either case, the host may not even know he has been possessed by the shade._

"But it hasn't brought its host back to CHAOS yet, am I correct?" Sekata queried. "Because if it already had, I assume that we would not be standing here talking right now."

_However, time is indeed running out. _Omegamon's voice began to die off. _Once it is all done, there might still be a way…reality…to return…_

The tunnel had been vibrating ever so slightly and now burst out in a massive tremble, one that sent the group spiraling into darkness again.

"No! Wait! Omegamon!" Zoe's scream was lost to the 'winds'.

"Zhuqiaomon!" Sekata yelled. "I know you're there! Give us more time!"

"That cannot be done." The Southern deity's voice echoed over the raging storm. "Staying between the worlds during a transaction is far too unstable. This is a place you must reach on your own power."

"And so we shall." Sekata clenched his claws as his vision spun into darkness.

"This shall be an interesting scenario to observe, mortal." Zhuqiaomon chuckled as his voice faded away.

* * *

"Ugh…" Sekata groaned, rolling onto his back.

Grass…he was lying on grass and out in an open field as the warm sunlight shone down upon them. The sky was clear and blue, with the sounds of birds singing in the trees.

"Everyone!"

Now back to their standard forms, Zoe, Janet and Steve were nearby, slowly regaining consciousness.

"We're fine." Zoe waved.

"Yeah, if you consider us being spun through dimensions like dirty laundry, then yeah, we're all fine and dandy." Steve moaned.

"Oh don't be such a hatchling." Janet snapped.

"That coming from someone who puked on a rollercoaster when she was…"

"Grrr…"

"Hey guys!" All heads turned as a set of padded feet trotted across the grass. It was Rain, now back to being a Raindramon and carrying a brown sack in his jaws.

"Rain! You're all right!" Steve ran over and gave the quadruped dragon a hug, causing him to drop the sack. "I was worried about you!"

"Well, I kinda got knocked out with all those explosions shaking the ground when you guys were fighting." Rain admitted sheepishly. "So I guess I sort of missed the whole thing. I remember being thrown around in some dark, deep space, and then I woke up here."

"A lot has happened." Steve explained. "Or rather, we've learnt a lot too. But I think I'd better talk to you alone, if it's ok with you…"

"Oh hurry and go." Janet waved in another direction.

Giving his companions a nod of approval, Steve hooked his Flamedramon gauntlets on his belt and led Rain away.

Neither was gone for long before something in the sack started moving and uttering muffled growls.

"Oh great, he's still here." Sekata snatched up the sack and opened it to see Chaosdramon's severed head inside.

"Grrrrarrgghhh! Let me out of here! You can't do this to me! Grrrraaarrrrrmmmuuuppp!" The mechanical dragon's screeching was cut off as Sekata closed the sack.

"So, what should we do with him?" Janet asked.

"As much as I just want to go and toss him into the nearest lava pit…" Sekata turned to Zoe.

"Why look at me?" The XV-mon gasped.

"You're the one who talked me out of ripping him to scrap metal remember?"

"Erm, well…let's just keep him somewhere and hope he'll cool off eventually." Zoe suggested. "Our storeroom would be a good choice."

"Heads up guys." Janet gestured. "Look who's here!"

A very red-faced Aero V-dramon descended from the sky, panting as he landed.

"It's just like you lot to simply vanish and then miraculously appear out of thin air." Aero breathed. "Next time, could you at least leave me a message first?"

"Sorry to have you worried." Sekata patted him on the shoulder. "How long have we been gone?"

"Slightly more than a day." Aero replied. "You guys want to start explaining?"

Sekata, Zoe and Janet glanced at each other and sighed.

"It's a long story…"

* * *

"Pretty amazing thing, huh?" Rain looked up.

"Yeah." Steve picked up a pebble by his feet and tossed it into the stream they were sitting by.

Doing that made the Flamedramon smile inwardly. This was a nice spot they'd found, under the shade of a tree with a cool breeze blowing past. It was something he used to do with his brother back in the human…

_No… _Steve corrected himself. _That exists only in my memories now._

Even though the others had their own problems, none of them seemed to mind too much that they wouldn't be going back now. Perhaps so that they weren't as open about it, and he was certain that the others all had their own ways of dealing with their emotions.

Steve felt an ache in his heart again, until he turned towards Rain.

"It's not what you leave behind, it's what you gain in the days ahead." The Raindramon suddenly spoke, as if reading Steve's thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"My brother used to tell me that." Rain whispered, almost on instinct. "Erm, well, I mean…"

"Heh, even more amazing how that turned out…bro."

"Hey, I always knew that really belonged to you somehow." The armored dragon pointed with his snout.

Dropping his gauntlets from his belt strap to the grassy patch, Steve got down on his back, lying next to his brother. The Flamedramon touched the collar with his three-fingered claws as the Crest of Courage keychain jingled softly against his scales.

"I'm sorry that I don't have, and will probably never have, the memories to share with you." Steve said softly.

"That's all right. Nothing else matters…" Rain nuzzled his shoulder. "Except the fact that you're really back this time! Wait till I tell Magnamon and the others! They'll be…"

"No don't." Steve calmly put a claw over his brother's snout.

"But why?"

"Some things are just better off forgotten." The older dragon replied. "After all the trauma both of went through trying to accept and deny the situation, we should leave things the way they are."

"Bro…"

"The old me is gone, so let's stick with me as I am now." Steve patted the Raindramon's head. "Brothers at heart remember? But deep down inside, we both know the truth now. But just between the two of us, all right bro?"

"Definitely." Rain sniffed. "Definitely bro."

"Really hate to interrupt you two." Sekata stepped into view. "But we've got a job to do."

* * *

Behind the Dorugoramon were Zoe as XV-mon and Janet as Strikedramon, along with Aeromaru holding the large sack.

"Aero and the other managed to locate another Chaos Shard while we were away, most likely the last one we need to open the portal to CHAOS and Omegamon." Zoe explained. "The shard's at the volcano, Akchenedash."

"Jeez, isn't that the badest, most dangerous active volcano in the region?" Steve gasped.

"And we've got these too." Janet held up a couple of dark colored crystal shards. "Managed to fish them out of Chaosdramon's head. Guess he was good for something after all."

"It'll be tough I feel." Aero voiced out. "We might have to descend down into that volcano. And there hasn't been good news from the regional weather reports."

"Man! We're all gonna die." Steve sprang up.

"Steve!" Everyone yelled.

"Hey, don't we like, get a break or something first?"

"Is that all you think about?" Janet sighed.

"This is the part where all the strategy guides would tell you to complete all the side quests and unfinished business before heading off into the final dungeon." The Flamedramon quipped.

"Steve!"

"Hey, hey, it's true, isn't it?" Steve stepped back, waving his claws defensively.

"He's right." Sekata noted. "We'll need to be in tip-top condition for this one."

"Yeah, we'll be going after that Lucifer guy…the new Royal Knights' boss." Janet agreed. "Somehow, I guess his cronies are going to be showing up too."

"Is that Dynamo you're referring to?" Zoe asked.

"Please don't say his name." Janet huffed.

"Possibly Evza too…" Aero said under his breath.

"Still, I don't understand why the Digital Gods or Omegamon just didn't tell us outright." Janet scratched her head.

"About what?" Sekata queried.

"Duh, I think it's plain logic that the Lucemon is the one possessed by the Shade of CHAOS." Janet said, raising her arms for emphasis. "Why else would he be so interested in having his troops seek out all these ancient artifacts? Because he was looking for a way to get to CHAOS of course!"

"Makes sense." Zoe nodded.

"Still, it's just a theory." Sekata agreed. "We don't know for sure."

"But it's so bloody obvious!" Janet sighed. "It always turns out this way."

"Only in novels in my opinion…"

"And you'll need to do something about this too." Steve suddenly plodded Sekata's broken tail with a finger. And unfortunately in the wrong spot.

"RRRAAARRGGGHH!" The Dorugoramon spun round and immediately had his claws around Steve's neck.

"Whoa! Hey, cut it out!" Aero yelled as the others moved in to shake Sekata off.

The Ryuukonken slipped out of Sekata's sheath and landed in the grass patch with a thud. That caused the purple dragon to release Steve and glance towards the blade.

"Sorry." Sekata muttered. "Just keep away from any broken bones I have. They do hurt, and in addition, I've gotten some limbs severed enough times to know."

"My bad." Steve nodded.

"Hey, I lost my whole original form if you guys remember." Janet jabbed a claw at her Strikedramon chest. "I think I've had it worse than him."

"Well, some crazed demon broke my back, then a bunch of Devas strung me up to some mind and body control device." Steve folded his arms. "Don't think you've experienced bad till you've experienced that!"

"At least you were the only one who never got turned into a toy!" Janet snapped.

Soon, the group broke out in random shouts and reminiscing that left everyone laughing out loud.

"Well, we should be heading back now." Sekata eventually spoke up. "Let's go home…"

While he had been referring to the base, the group knew that Sekata had a deeper meaning to his words.

This world…it was their home now, like it or not. But each one was still prepared to play his or her part in making the future of this world a better one.

For the sake of all they'd encountered and fought for. Each time they'd suffered and narrowly escaped certain doom.

Every battle won and lost.

And for their friends…some of whom had sacrificed themselves for their cause.

The time to end this was coming soon…very soon…

* * *

"Well, looks like it was worth leaking that bit about the Chaos Shard in the volcano to them." Junon lowered her binoculars and wiped the sweat off the brow of her unarmored head. "I'm surprised you could actually come up with something like it."

"Yeah well heh, it was more of Dynamo's." Metallix scratched his head.

"Speaking of him, is that guy done moping yet?"

"Nope." Metallix glanced down from the tree the two were setting on.

The group had chosen a cluster of trees on a hill, overlooking the shoreline that Sekata and his party were having their discussion. While Junon and Metallix were up spying on the unwary party, Dynamo was sitting below the tree and muttering quietly to himself.

"Will you snap out of it already?" Junon shouted at the Chaos Dukemon.

"Huh?" The black knight looked up. "Oh, sorry."

"Have you heard anything I've said in the past hour?"

"What did you say?"

"Grrrr!" Junon banged her fists on the tree branch. "If you're still thinking about that dragoness, it should be plainly obvious that she doesn't like you. Why else do you think she let you fall seven stories in that old castle?"

"Arrgghhh…" Dynamo sighed with a teary look.

"Ouch, talk about being blatantly obvious." Metallix sweatdropped.

"Well, we are bound to get into a scuffle sooner or later." Junon continued. "We just need to lie low until they've retrieved the last Chaos Shard, then we move in and claim all three for ourselves. Since we've lost track of Evza, that's the only way we'll be able to get in and help Lord Lucifer."

"No offense man, but do you think he really needs our help?" The Metal Garurumon X shrugged. "I mean, his bank account is still working and we're still getting paid. Plus, I think he would've waited for us if he really needed us, right?"

Junon said nothing, but fiddled with the helmet that she held in her arms.

"It's that duty sense you have, eh?"

"I lost my previous master because I wasn't able to help him." Junon spoke after a moment's silence. "Lord Lucifer took me in…and I don't want to see it happen to him too…"

* * *

A humanoid figure walked through a dark tunnel that appeared to be made entirely out of a black colored void. The Ultimate level form of Lucemon trotted carefully down the 'path', watching each and every direction with caution.

"Where are you?" He whispered. "The entity known only as CHAOS…"

It seemed like he'd spent far too much time wandering through this strange dimension. Existing between the worlds, both time and logic had little significance here.

Lucifer kept one hand on the hilt of his sword. All his preparations, years of planning and research…it all came down to this. And he wasn't about to let it all slip away.

CHAOS should've been hungry….searching for a host that would help it to regenerate and recover. But why? It seemed almost as if it were avoiding him…and hiding.

_Could it be that it doesn't want me? _Lucifer thought. _That could explain why I've spent so long in here and yet accomplished nothing. However, CHAOS is an entity that depends on its host. Hmmm…could it possibly be that CHAOS has already…_

Too caught up in his musings, the fallen angel failed to notice a swarm of black tentacles creeping up behind him. That was until they made contact, forcing Lucifer to draw his weapon.

All at once, he was hacking, slashing and defending.

Then, another voice came into his mind. Actually, it wasn't so much of a voice, more like an emotion somehow transmitted into 'words'. While the actual 'words' were lost to the fray of the battle, their meaning was all too clear.

_YOU are NOT the one we seek… _

* * *

As the rest of the party started walking back to base, Sekata knelt over to retrieve the Ryuukonken.

Staring into its shiny blade reminded him about a lot of things, all related in one way or another to his arch nemesis.

_AncientGreymon…_

The ancient dragon had been relatively quiet throughout their latest adventure. But a predator lying in wait was often licking their wounds and waiting for a perfect opportunity to strike. And Sekata certainly knew the feeling.

Although the Dorugoramon had felt this way several times, Sekata somehow knew that their time was coming. He had managed to avoid using the powers of the two Spirits of Fire, but for how long?

Perhaps it was AncientGreymon simply letting him know.

One thing was certain though…only one of them would be waking away from that confrontation….


	50. Old Scars

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Old Scars**

By nightdragon0

_Hot… too hot… _Howled the voice in Sekata's mind.

The flames that engulfed his body were not of his own this time, but instead the far more intense fires of the volcano. While the exposed parts of his Dorugoramon hide screamed in fury, it was the metallic plates of armor that were burning the scales beneath.

A roar that escaped his jaws came more out of agony than anything else he was feeling at the moment.

_That was stupid! Why did I let him go like that? I should've known he was going to try a stunt like this! _Sekata thought.

Folding his wings further back, Sekata inclined his body to hasten his descent. So distracted was he that the dragon didn't notice the ledge until it literally slammed him in the face.

"Rrrrarrrgghhh!" The impact sent him rolling and crashing into the wall.

Sharp fragments of stone were thrown everywhere, and even his scales didn't spare him from taking cuts and bruises. Spitting blood out of his mouth, Sekata quickly shook his head to clear his vision and resumed his plunge, leaping off the ledge.

Ash was getting into his eyes, and even more into his nose, further disorientating him.

BOOM! A nearby explosion sent a shower of rocks in his direction. Sekata reacted by curling into a ball and briefly folding his wings around himself, blocking the worst of the blast.

It was almost immediately followed by a rising wave of lava. The boiling fluid stung as Sekata forced himself through, his body steaming from the ever increasing temperature.

But Sekata kept on course. Although the volcano was on the verge of erupting, there was no other choice but to carry on.

In the midst of the chaos, the armored dragon let his eyes close for a moment. And almost as if in a dream, the events of the past few days flashed by in his mind.

* * *

**Flashback…**

**Day 1 **

"Nice place." Steve muttered sarcastically.

"The Akchenedash region is known better for its volcano of the same name, not for the sights." Aero nodded.

"Well, it's not hard to see why."

The group continued their trudge along the dirt trail, as they'd been doing for several hours now. These were open plains with few trees scattered in-between, but the volcano's constant eruptions didn't do much for the vegetation.

Ash and smoke hung about in the air, leaving an ominous feeling in general. Most of the ground was either charred or covered by ash, and the grass on the better parts was yellow and wrinkled. The trees too were bare and drying up. It was an odd phenomenon that none of the group had decided to think too much about.

Sekata, Zoe and Janet were walking slightly ahead, leaving Steve and Aero to bring up the rear. The amount of smoke higher in the air made flying too much of a discomfort, and the group had agreed on taking this mission a little more slowly.

Their friends back at base had e-mailed the party a set of maps that they'd been following….or at least had tried to.

"I don't get this one." Janet scratched her head, glancing down at her D-Dragon's screen. "These maps must be pretty outdated or something."

She was most definitely frowning, although the metal mask fixed over her dragon head hid her eyes from view. The Strikedramon had an additional black jacket pulled over her upper body, giving her a rugged look that matched that of the wilderness around them.

"But according to those travelers we ran into a while ago, the settlement was in this direction." Zoe spoke up. She was carrying most of the group's equipment inside of a brown backpack strapped across her blue XV-mon body.

"Let's keep heading this way." Sekata agreed, his tail involuntarily swishing about. It was a habit Sekata had when he was deep in thought. The Dorugoramon's tail had healed since the last encounter with Chaosdramon, where he'd literally snapped it in half.

"We'd best be careful when dealing with the locals here." Aero called from behind. "They don't get out much, and there's no telling how they'd react to a group of strangers hanging around one of their volcanoes."

"We just won't let them find out." Sekata growled. "Last thing I need is another town waving pitchforks and torches while trying to kill me."

"Figuratively speaking, I assume." His Aero V-dramon comrade came up to his side. The memories of the first time they'd met were still vivid images in Aero's mind.

"Hey guys, why's everybody so down?" Steve suddenly dashed in front of the group, waving his gauntlet- covered Flamedramon claws about. "I know we're on another big mission and all, but think, this is one we're quite in control of."

"As in?" Janet queried.

"We're all here, one organized party, and not randomly running around trying to find each other. Well, get my drift?"

"Just try not to jinx it by opening your big mouth…"

* * *

"And there they are." Junon lowered her binoculars. "A little late, but they're there."

"I don't see what's with all this waiting!" Metallix waved his arms about in irritation. "Do we just have to keep watching them? I'm itching for a battle here!"

"Don't forget why we're watching them." Junon waved a finger. "It's because we want to let them find the last Chaos Shard before moving in."

The Rhodo Knightmon and her Metal Garurumon companion were standing on top of a steep cliff, crouched behind a set of boulders. Sekata's party of five was walking along the pathway below, unaware of the Royal Knights' presence close by.

"But must we be so high up?" Metallix continued. "The ash's annoying me."

"You're techno-organic, so what are you complaining about?" Junon snapped. "I have the air filters on inside my helmet and it isn't helping me much."

"Well the ash's getting into my eyes! And it's annoying!"

"Oh keep your voice down you idiot." Junon tugged his ear. "And where's that Dynamo? He was supposed to be back with our dinner ages ago."

"Hey, can it lady, I'm here." Dynamo grunted. The Black Knight was in his Guilmon form for the moment and struggling up the path carrying a large set of assorted food items, ranging from cans to boxes and fresh fruit.

"Was there really a need to get so much?" Junon queried.

"Blame it on Metallix. The doggie eats too much for his own good!"

"Me?" The Metal Garurumon retorted. "I bet Dynamo just doesn't want to admit that he's the glutton around here."

"Oh yeah?" Dynamo snapped. "Why don't you… yarrrgghh!"

The Guilmon stumbled on a small stone, sending his cargo flying in all directions. Junon instinctively caught hold of a watermelon that was headed for her face. She stepped back and onto a fallen can that threw the female off balance, sending her crashing into Metallix.

Both hit the ground with Junon's foot accidentally stomping down on Metallix's fingers. The wolf let off a yelp of pain, releasing a slab of meat he'd caught in his jaws. And just in time for Dynamo to slip on it and go over the edge.

"Garrrgghhh!" The Dino latched his claws onto a protruding branch. "Help!"

Down below was the narrow valley that Sekata's group was traveling along. The other Royal Knights quickly reached down and pulled Dynamo up.

"Whew…" He panted. "That was close."

"Could've been a lot worse." Metallix agreed.

CRRAAK! A part of the cliff edge broke off and rolled down the side. Although the rocks were small ones, they hit and dislodged a set of much larger ones beneath. The larger rocks fell and did the same, breaking off more pieces and causing a massive chain reaction.

"Oh crap…" Junon cursed.

* * *

The path they'd been traveling on was surrounded by high cliff walls on both sides. It probably wasn't such a good route, but it was the most direct one. The sun had begun to go down and weariness was rapidly setting in too.

"You know, I think I preferred the pains from earlier." Steve remarked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that this is the perfect place for an ambush."

"Will you cut it out Steve? You've done nothing but complain for the past hour!" Janet snapped. "I'm sure no one even knows we're here…"

CRRAAK!

Five heads snapped up to the rumbling noise. And entire wave of falling rocks wasn't a pleasant sight to look up to.

"Rockslide!" Aero gasped.

"Damn, I told you not to jinx it, didn't I?" Janet yelled, glaring angrily at Steve.

Sekata spotted several ledges up on the walls that could possibly serve as 'shelters' from the falling rocks. The other option was to fly and blast their way through the hail. But in either case, they couldn't afford to stay on the ground. Their path was downhill and that would only send the rocks rolling in their direction.

"Guys, up the walls! Now!" The Dorugoramon ordered. "Get beneath the ledges!"

Everyone immediately complied, leaping and digging their claws into the rocky walls. Sekata, Aero and Janet were on one side while Steve and Zoe ended up on the other. Fortunately, the ledges above their heads held and shielded the group from the worst of the storm.

"That was much too sudden to have been natural." Zoe panted.

"Up there!" Steve turned his head. "I think I see some of our old friends!"

"Grrr…Dynamo?" Janet growled. "I should've know he'd be the one to come up with a sneaky trick like this! Let me at him! RRaaarrgghhh!"

A flash of blue surrounded the commando dragon as she changed into the sleek, black form of Cyberdramon. Spreading her wings, Janet shot upwards, blasting the falling rocks out of her way.

"Hey are you crazy?" Steve released one claw to shake it at Janet. "You just…yyarrrgghh!"

The Flamedramon's other claw came lose and caused Steve to slip off the wall. Zoe managed to grab a hold of her comrade's tail, but the motion of his fall sent Steve's face into the rocky surface with a loud smack.

"Oohhh…the stars again…." Steve moaned before passing out.

"Gurgh! I can hold him." Zoe grunted. "Go help Janet you guys."

"I'm on it!" Aero pushed off his wall, changing into his Mega level Alforce V-dramon form. Activating the energy shield on his left arm, the blue dragon held it up as he ascended.

Sekata was about to follow when a shrill noise caught his sensitive ears.

"Heeellllpppp! Help! Help me!"

The armored dragon glanced towards the source and gasped. A little Betamon was huddled in a small crack further down the path…and in danger of being crushed by the rockslide.

Betamon was a Rookie level Digimon with green skin that resembled a small amphibian. It had four legs and an orange Mohawk on its head.

_Oh no, he doesn't stand a chance! _

Without any further thought, Sekata released his hold and slid along the ground. Using his massive wings as shields, Sekata blocked out the worst of the hits as he moved into position. It was impossible to keep his balance on the ground itself, so the purple dragon had to settle with clinging onto the wall just above the Betamon.

"Kid! Reach for my claw!" Sekata held an arm out.

However, the terrified child could only curl up and whimper.

"Don't be afraid." Sekata urged. "I'm gonna get you out of here safely! I promise!"

A fast moving stone was suddenly thrown into his extended left hand, causing Sekata to cry out. A soft 'crack' rang out in his ears and the Dorugoramon realized his wrist must've been sprained. Still, he vigilantly kept reaching for the child, even on his injured hand.

"Please! You have to trust me!"

Slowly, the Betamon nodded and reached out with one of his claws. Sekata strained his own arm to its limit and finally grabbed a hold.

Yet another stone shot into his body, this time at the back of his neck. Gritting his fangs in pain, Sekata felt his own blood running down his back. However, he kept his grip firm and pulled the Rookie Digimon closer to his body. Crying, the Betamon buried his head in Sekata's scaly chest.

Folding his wings around them, the dragon braced himself for more hits, desperately trying to wait out the storm.

* * *

"Think they spotted us?" Dynamo panted.

"Oh sure, and you think they wouldn't notice several tons of rock showering down on their heads?" Junon muttered angrily.

"No, I meant about…"

"YOU!" Janet suddenly flipped up onto the cliff. "I should've guessed you'd be behind this!"

"Whoa princess! I…"

WHAM!

"Garrgghh!" Dynamo howled, holding both hands over his groin. "Not…again…owww!"

Janet wasn't about to give him the chance to recover and sent in a second spinning kick that flipped Dynamo head over heels. Junon stepped forward and tossed her yellow, ribbon-like weapons, tying the Cyberdramon's arms and body up.

While Janet tugged and struggled, Aero arrived on the scene and sliced the ribbon in half with his AlForce Saber. The pink armored knight went staggering backwards as Janet furiously ripped the remaining bindings apart and attacked.

Junon went down to her knees, clutching her side in pain.

"I gotcha!" Metallix raised his arm mounted machine guns to fire.

Suddenly, Aero jumped in and swung his fist, knocking Metallix's gun arm downwards. The cyber wolf's eyes went wide as the bullets fired into his own foot.

"Erase Claw!" Janet put both her palms together and shoved them into Metallix's chest. The attack discharged a blue burst of energy that sent Metallix flying.

"Shinning V Force!" Aero fired off a golden beam that blew out the ground around Junon, forcing her to dive for cover.

"Dammit." Junon hissed. "Retreat!"

A limping Metallix dropped a grenade that exploded into a thick cloud of smoke. Junon grabbed the still dazzled Dynamo by his tail and dragged him across the rocky surface, ignoring the dino's protests and screams.

"Get back here you morons!" Janet roared, firing off several more Erase Claws. Unfortunately, the sound of shattering rocks was all she heard as the footsteps faded. "Crap, they got away."

"Forget about them." Aero tugged her shoulder. "Don't you think you were a little hasty there? We had them off guard, but what if they'd been better prepared?"

"Grrr….yeah, sorry." A pillar of light surrounded Janet as she changed back into her Strikedramon form. "But there's no way I'd pass up a chance to kick Dynamo's ass."

"At least we're all fine." Zoe flew up to the cliff, carrying a moaning Steve with her.

"Ow dammit!" The seated Flamedramon rubbed his head. "And I though my head banging days were over."

"Well, old habits die hard." Janet smirked.

"Hey, what was that?"

The flapping of wings caused everyone to look towards Sekata as the Dorugoramon arrived on top of the cliff, carrying a Betamon in his arms.

"It's all right now kid." Sekata told his passenger. "I got you out, just like I promised."

The Betamon looked up as Sekata smiled, then gave off a shriek and jumped straight into Steve, wrapping his limbs around the Flamedramon's face.

"Whoa, whoa, kid it's OK now." Sekata waved his arms.

"Muurrmmphh! Can't breath!" Steve gasped, struggling with the Rookie Digimon.

"You probably just frightened him, grinning with all your fangs like that." Zoe remarked.

"And no offense, you don't exactly have the most comforting face." Janet added in.

"Don't we all?" Sekata sighed.

"We should take him back home, it'll be pretty dangerous out here after dark." Aero spoke up. "Well, once we can get him off Steve that is."

True enough, the Betamon's fear had turned to laughter as he clung on to a very unhappy Steve's snout.

* * *

"I really have to thank you for saving my grandson." The massive Zudomon embraced the much smaller Betamon in a warm hug.

This aquatic beast was a mix between an upright walrus, with the shell of an ancient turtle on his back. Despite that, Zudomon was perfectly capable of living either on land or in water.

"He's a fighter, I'll definitely have to admit it." Sekata commented. The dragon taken some time to wrap a bandage around his injured wrist and place another at the back of his neck, where he'd been bleeding earlier.

"A pleasure too, Blappa." Aero leaned against the counter of the blacksmith's shop. "Although I had no idea that he was your grandson."

"The Digital World's a smaller place than we think, eh?" Blappa laughed.

"You know him?" Steve asked.

"Yes, he's come down to our town a few times to make some trades."

"And I'm quite surprised that you'd come all the way out here for another of your treasures." The Zudomon continued.

"Well, it's a living." Steve replied with a shrug. The treasure hunt story was one they were using to avoid openly mentioning anything about the Chaos Shard.

The Akchenedash Settlement was where the Betamon had led the group to, coincidently being the same place they'd been searching for. It was well past dark by the time the group had arrived, and the old blacksmith was more than happy to see not only his grandson, but an old friend as well.

Blappa's shop was a simple one, with several shelves of armor in front and the forging table in the rear.

As Steve browsed through the shelves, it reminded him of another friend who'd been into a similar art….Siavon.

"Now that we're all settled down." Blappa turned the Betamon in his arms. "Would you like to tell me what you were doing all the way out there, Ace?"

"Erm…" Ace the Betamon staggered. "I'm…really sorry. But…"

"But?"

"I knew you were out of these, and…"

Ace produced a shinning blue stone from his hide, holding it up to the light.

"Turquoise!" His grandfather stared. "As much as I appreciate it son, promise me you won't try another stunt like that again."

"Ok, I promise grandfather."

"Why don't you all stay the night, and perhaps I can check up on this Crystal Shard you say you're looking for in the morning." Blappa suggested.

"That'll be great." Aero nodded, receiving similar gestures from the rest of the group.

* * *

**Day 2 **

Yawning, Sekata stepped out of the house, blinking in the morning light.

"Looks pretty different during the day." He remarked.

"Sure does." Zoe walked up to his side.

To the XV-mon, the place seemed like a 15th Century European town. There were no walls surrounding the small city, only the end of the tiled road marked the start of the wilderness beyond.

The blacksmith's shop was located at the edge of town. Behind it was the mountain path they'd traveled on the day before. On the other side were rows of houses made out of grayish stones with wooden roofs. There didn't seem to be any fixed pattern to their arrangement either, making the streets winding around them far more confusing.

Sekata noted that there weren't too many Digimon about, this town being much smaller than the city that their base was close to.

"How about the others?" The armored dragon queried.

"Steve and Janet left earlier, and Aero's talking to his friend." Zoe told him. "So I guess we're on our own."

"Well, we should take a look around too." Sekata began walking.

Following the streets at random, the two passed rows of houses and storage buildings. There was a small marketplace and a few shops, but the town made most of its income from shipping out various goldsmithing materials.

"It'll be nice when this is all over." Zoe spoke as the pair passed by a large fountain in the town square.

"Hm?" Sekata stopped walking.

"Just to go out like this, live our lives and not have to worry about a big mission or a looming encounter."

"Yeah…" The Dorugoramon nodded.

"Sekata, what's been up with you lately?" Zoe stepped in front of him.

"With me?"

"You've been acting rather distant since we got back from our…other world." The XV-mon lowered her voice.

"Well…" Sekata paused to think. "We won't be going back there, so we should be making the best of our lives here from now on."

"Sekata you're avoiding the quest…"

"Zoe…" Sekata took hold of her claws. "Have you thought about what it would be like if one of us…wasn't around?"

"Don't say things like that. We'll all…"

"You still have to admit that it's a possibility Zoe."

"Why are you asking me this?" The dragoness' expression fell into a concerned look.

"Just that, I want you to be even stronger even if you're on your own. You've changed a lot since we first met, and I have a lot of respect for that."

"Sekata…" Zoe leaned closer.

The dragon's leader suddenly held up a claw. Several heads of passing Digimon were occasionally glancing in their direction.

"Erm, let's go inside." Sekata coughed, guiding Zoe into the nearest building.

It was a mostly empty bar, with a long counter and a shelf of bottles behind it.

* * *

"Greetings stranger." The bartender leaned forward. "Don't see many of year' kind 'round these parts. But anyways, what can I get ya?"

This lion-man was Grappleomon, a humanoid brown lion with an orange mane. Built much like a standard Leomon breed, he stood upright and wore an eye patch over his left eye. His body was clad in a suit of white armor that was more of a tight-fitting set, giving him an odd sci-fi image in the midst of the medieval town.

"Something not too heavy." Sekata gestured, taking a seat at the counter with Zoe. "And two of it."

"Got just the thing!" Grappleomon went back to his bottles and soon slid a couple of fizzling mugs across the table. "My personal special, a blend of the famous Lion brand. Might taste a bit of the more common Zirus brews in it, ya?"

"You mean Corinus I believe." Sekata said, taking a sip. "Zirus is a much rarer brew because it only comes from a few places up north."

"Ah yes, Corinus it was." The bartender chuckled. "I must be getting old these days. How'd ya guess?"

"Corinus is pretty common around this western region and Lion is produced primarily in the south, making it a tad more pricy here."

"Ye must be traders, yeah? I can sniff one out the moment I come across 'em."

"And part time treasure hunter too." Zoe added in.

"Hmm, ye come about the volcano thing? Not something I'd encourage ya to go for."

"Could you explain a little more?"

"Ah let's see…" Grappleomon scratched his head. "There was tis big explosion some months back. Some old volcano out at sea blew itself up. Sent tis large rock flying, right into Akchenedash's main crater."

"Main crater?" Sekata asked.

"The biggest one, ye can't possibly miss it." The bartender gestured towards a photograph hanging on the wall. "Following the Upper Mountain trail'll get ya there pretty quick."

All Sekata saw was the top of a mountain, but at least they knew where they needed to go.

"Some folks claim they saw a purple light from the crater the moment the rock hit it." Grappleomon continued. "But no one really knows for sure."

"It's really useful information too, thank you." Sekata nodded.

"Don't mean to startle ya, but seems like the folks at that table have taken interest in ya." Grappleomon gestured with a quick hand motion before moving off to attend to another patron.

Sekata and Zoe turned in the direction the bartender was pointing, toward a table at the corner. There were a couple of large Digimon seated there. Or rather, a humanoid dragon seated and a centaur-like one standing at the table.

The two didn't try to hide the fact that they'd been spotted and came up to Sekata and Zoe.

One was a black scaled dragon covered almost completely in black armor. He was wingless, but had double-jointed legs and bladed tail. The armor was designed much like a Special Ops taskforce soldier, with the distinctive outline of a Kevlar vest beneath. Various belts with pouches were also strung across his body, along with two knives by his sides and a pair of blades on his back.

His helmet was a matching black too, fitting loosely around his head and snout. On top of it was a pair of night vision goggles, revealing his blue eyes beneath.

The second was a centaur clad in brilliant red armor, accompanied by blue symbols on his sides and silver sections on the arms. The chestplate too was decorated with the pattern of a dragon's head. Instead of a normal head, this Digimon had a lizard-like one with yellow horns at the sides and a purple mane protruding from beneath his red and golden mask.

There was also a pair of scaly golden wings on his upper back and a bushy blue tail on the horse's rear. A large crossbow was also hanging by his side.

Sealsdramon, named after the Navy SEALS, and Sleipmon, from the mount of Odin, Sleipnir.

"You should take his advice stranger, the volcano is not one to be tempered with." Sealsdramon pulled himself into the chair next to Sekata. "There are lots of stories circulating about, and none of them good."

"And certainly not for out-towners." Sleipmon's hooves clattered noisily across the floor. "You'd do well to not be stirring up any trouble around here. Cause we don't want to have to take any, drastic actions should I say."

"Humph, we'll remember that." Sekata growled, feeling the aggressive presence but not being intimidated by the two.

"Relax pal, my buddy can be rather over anxious at times." Sealsdramon slapped him on the shoulder. "Enjoy your stay here."

Without another word, the two turned and walked out through the door.

"I don't like the looks of those two." Zoe whispered.

"Neither do I, but it's a guy thing." Sekata replied.

"Besides that, I didn't know you knew so much about beer brews."

"Erm, well…"

"Is that why you wake up on some mornings with hangovers?"

"Hey!"

Meanwhile, Sealsdramon and Sleipmon quietly watched Sekata and Zoe growling and shoving each other from outside the window.

"You really think it's him?" Sealsdramon asked.

"The male? He does seem similar in appearance to the purple dragon in the books, but there's no way to be sure." His centaur companion noted.

"Yeah well the legends were never clear about it. And we don't want to be jumping to conclusions too quickly."

"We'll see my friend. We'll see."

"Why? Having one of those hunches of yours?" The commando dragon shrugged.

"Certainly. Perhaps the answer will come to us if we wait enough…"

* * *

"That's the same thing Blappa told me." Aero nodded as he followed Sekata and Zoe up the mountain path. "Unfortunately he wasn't able to find out much else."

"It's enough though. At least we know where to look." Sekata replied.

"By the way, Blappa wanted me to give this to you." Aero gripped the handheld scanner he was holding under his arm and dug through the equipment bag by his side. "A token of appreciation for saving his grandson."

Aero brought up a pendant with a silver chain and a beautiful blue gem at the end.

"Isn't that the Turquoise gem he had earlier?" Zoe gasped.

"Yup. Here, try it on." The Aero V-dramon raised the pendant.

"Why not?" Sekata shrugged, slipping the chain around his neck.

"Looks good on you." Zoe remarked.

"Well, I'm not one for jewelry…"

"Oh just keep it on. You know that it's worth quite a lot on the market."

"Yes, I guess I should." Sekata nodded, slipping the pendant beneath the chest section of his armor.

"I still feel that we should be waiting for Steve and Janet though." Zoe glanced back down the path. "They're probably still in town."

"Janet's message said she had some things to take care of, and hopefully Steve will make sure she stays out of trouble."

"Don't you mean it the other way round?"

"Yeah, that too." Sekata grinned.

"Hey, the scanner's reading is getting stronger." Aero said excitedly. "Come on!"

Spurred on by the discovery, the trio partially ran and partially flew the rest of the way. It wasn't long before they arrived on the summit and found themselves staring down into the volcanic crater. One that had both steam and waves of heat rising from it.

The smell of burning ash was much stronger, but it was the sudden rise in temperature that bothered them the most.

"Wow…" Zoe gasped.

"So, where is the Shard?" Sekata turned towards Aero.

"Down there." The blue dragon pointed.

"Wonderful." Sekata moaned sarcastically.

The view looking down into the crater was blurred by the heat waves, much like a road on a hot summer's day. However, several ledges and rocky outcroppings could be seen leading down into the depths. Molten lava was definitely down there too, and Sekata knew it.

"The Chaos Shard shouldn't be too far in, otherwise we wouldn't have such a strong signal." Aero placed their equipment down. "Then again, we're using a scanner that looks for similar energy signals to the Shards we already have. It's more of a wild card, because nothing else I know has an energy signature like this."

"You have a plan for getting to it?" Sekata asked.

"We have you, or at least your Vritramon self." Zoe replied.

"Hmm, it's worth a try." A wave of Digicode surrounded Sekata. "Slide evolution."

Sekata's features melted and changed into that of yet another armored dragon, although this one was red. An upright dragon with feathery wings of fire and a blaster mounted on either arm. His silver helmet was designed in a Wargreymon style, while the rest of the armor was decorated with gold and silver patterns.

"Haven't seen this side of you in a while." Zoe joked.

"Yeah." Sekata agreed, stretching his arms and wings. "But…"

Sekata stomped to the edge, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"As a fire elemental, I can smell the flames better and guess their intensity." Sekata explained. "Going down might be too much for me. I'm fire resistant, but like a lot of other fire types, I'm not completely immune to the flames. And dropping into molten lava is definitely not one thing I can take."

"Is it really that bad?" Zoe muttered.

"According to my research, yes, the volcanoes in this region are about 40 percent hotter than anywhere else." Aero placed the scanner down and started unzipping the equipment bag. "We suspected that it might be too hot for you, but we had to be certain."

"Wait a minute, you guys knew…" Sekata stared. Then, an odd scent caught his nose. A familiar, but unpleasant chemical smell. "No…"

"I won't lie to you Sekata." Aero brought up a canister and placed it on the ground. "I'm sure you remember…what Katsu was forced to do before we met him."

Sekata's eyes widened. Much earlier in his travels, Sekata had a chance encounter with a crazed sorcerer. Back then, Katsu had been a poor Wormmon forced to do the sorcerer's bidding. And part of that had been to spray the dragon with a fluid that quickly coagulated and literally froze Sekata into a living statue.

Even after he'd been freed, Sekata could still remember tasting traces of the fluid in his mouth for weeks after. The odd smell was one he could never forget either, for it was all his dulled senses could detect for months.

"Besides how it was…used on us." Aero quickly continued. "This stuff also provides great protection against heat and other adverse environmental conditions. Plus, it's porous and allows one to breath through it."

"Katsu diluted it so that the fluid won't coagulate unless you stop moving for more than 10 minutes." Zoe added in. "It was the best he could do without compromising its protective abilities."

"Zoe, you knew about this too?" Sekata stared.

"We all did." Zoe admitted, looking down. "We just…"

"And nobody told me anything?" The Vritramon burst out.

"I know how you feel about it, but…"

"The point is, no one told me about it!"

"Look, we all knew that you'd react this way." Aero tugged his arm. "We didn't want to keep it a secret, but we also didn't want you to start having doubts before we even started!"

"And you think it makes me feel better?" Sekata roared, shaking the blue dragon off. "There's no way I'm letting that stuff get on me again! Never!"

"Sekata!" The Dragon Morph's leader was pulled down by his wing as Zoe faced him. "Aero and I were petrified like that too, if you remember? We know what it felt like as well!"

"I…"

"We really need you Sekata. Between all of us, you're the only one who can take the intense flames with some added protection!"

"Grrr…" Sekata frowned, staring down at the crater.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to." Aero spoke up.

"No, we need to get the Chaos Shard and see this whole thing through to the end." Sekata clenched his fists. "I'm not going to like it, but I'll go for it."

* * *

"Damn! He was definitely around here somewhere!" Janet leaned against a wall, panting wildly.

"Are you sure you saw him?" Steve gasped as he finally caught up. "And not some other random Guilmon?"

"There's no doubt about it!" The Strikedramon growled. "It's Dynamo, and he was here!"

Steve and Janet had been making their own rounds when Janet's main nemesis had come into view. The Guilmon had instantaneously turned and fled, with Janet quickly giving chase.

Unfortunately, she'd lost him somewhere along the maze of winding streets. And Janet found it surprising because she was sure that in a small town like this, an outsider out stick out like a sore thumb.

Even when Sekata's call had come in, Janet had sent a hurried reply telling him to go on first.

"Is this about the whole love and hate thing?" Steve asked.

All he got in reply was a stern growl and a purple dragon staring him in the face.

"Ok….minus the love bit." The Flamedramon waved his claws around in protest. "But still, aren't you overreacting, just a little?"

"I definitely saw him. And since his buddies were in the area, I'm pretty certain that they're here too. Those are not good signs."

"Well, we'll just whip their butts if the Royal Knights try to get in the way."

"I don't know Steve." Janet straightened up. "My gut feeling tells me that something just isn't right. You know how they tend to come up with a way to give us a major headache?"

"Now you're making me worry." Steve sighed.

"Come on then, let's look around this row of buildings again."

As the duo's footsteps faded away, a small cellar hatch at a nearby building's base shook slightly. With a soft creak, Dynamo lifted it open and carefully peered out.

"Those are the two then?" A deep voice asked from behind him.

"Yep, just like I said." Dynamo replied with a grin.

* * *

"Right, this cable here has been coated with the same fluid." Aero pointed to a coil of rope on the floor. "It's made from a fire-resistant metal, but it'll still feel a little warm once you get down there."

"And I'll need it so…"

"Because you won't be able to use your wings properly. And so that we can pull you up if anything happens."

"The key pad working?" Zoe asked.

"Yes, seems like it." Sekata pushed several buttons on the keypad strapped to his right arm and a nearby laptop displayed his text message of 'Testing'. "What's it for? I have my D-Dragon if I need it."

"Because you won't be able to talk, and there might be some interference with your Digivice's signal."

"Great, I'm getting a big feel of déjà vu already."

"Are you all right Sekata?" Zoe asked with concern. "Perhaps this might not be such a…"

"I'm going for it." The morph interrupted, waving her off.

"OK, here. Tie that around your waist." Aero tossed Sekata the rope, securing the other end to a large rock. "This second canister contains the de-coagulant, and we'll get the stuff off you as soon as you're up."

"Understood."

"Remember keep your body moving." Aero raised the first canister. "You ready?"

"Yeah. I just want to get this over and done with."

With a soft hiss, the canister released its contents. Aero carefully sprayed the semi-translucent fluid all over Sekata's body. The dragon stood still until the process was completed, then raised his arms to look at them.

"Feeling all right?" Zoe waved a hand in front of his face. "How are your movements?"

Sekata nodded and took several steps forward, lashing his tail about and flapping his wings. Using the keypad, Sekata typed out a message.

"Fine, but anxious." Aero read the laptop's screen out loud. "Try to relax a little. You're very tensed up in there."

That was something Zoe could see as much as feel from Sekata's emotions. The Vritramon clenched his claws for a long while and stood by the edge, seemingly glancing down into it.

"Sekata?" Zoe called.

The dragon didn't respond.

"Hey Sekata!" The XV-mon reached out to touch his shoulder.

All of a sudden, Sekata threw her hand off and cocked back his head as if trying to roar. Only that he couldn't because of the fluid covering his body. In blind panic, Sekata threshing about, knocking the laptop away with his tail.

"Calm do…gargh!" For his efforts, Aero received a punch in the stomach that sent him reeling back.

"Sekata! It's Ok!" Zoe grabbed onto his wings this time.

In an attempt to throw her off, Sekata flicked his body to the side and took a wrong step…right over the edge. That sent both Zoe and himself tumbling into the crater.

"NO!" Aero's initial reaction was to run for the edge.

However, the whipping of the rope caught his eye and the blue dragon threw his weight onto it. Grunting, Aero clipped the mechanism shut, preventing more rope from uncoiling. With a loud twang, the rope held firmly.

"Guys!" Aero sprinted to the edge and glanced down, immediately feeling a hot blast of air in his face.

"Help! Gargh!" Zoe's coughing sounded.

The XV-mon wasn't too far in and had one hand grasped tightly around the rope. The other hand was covering her snout as she coughed wildly. Zoe was most likely in shock, having suddenly gotten a blast of heat and ash in her eyes.

Aero could also see the rope going further out of sight, presumably with Sekata at the other end.

"Zoe! Fly up! Reach for my hand!" Aero shouted.

It took Zoe a while to respond, but eventually she gathered the strength to push off the steaming walls and flap her wings. With a yell, Aero reached down and grabbed Zoe's arm.

"Ha gotcha!" He grinned.

However, Aero's smile quickly faded as another whipping sound caught his ears. The knot he'd tied around the rock had come loose, leaving the coil of rope to slide freely towards the edge. Straining his muscles, the Aero V-dramon was able to grab the coil, but not before it knocked the laptop and equipment bag down into the volcano.

"Rarrrgghh!" Aero struggled to keep his position whilst holding both Zoe and the rope up. "Zoe! Zoe answer me! Jump out when I pull you, got it? I need your…arrrgghh….help!"

"On three…" Zoe hacked.

"Three!"

On Aero's call, the male dragon tossed his female counterpart up as hard as he could. Zoe responded by flapping her wings and somersaulting out of the crater.

"The rope!" The Aero V-dramon screamed, struggling against the hidden weight of Sekata. "Tie it to the rock!"

"Got it!" Zoe snatched up the loose end and made a mad dash for the large rock. She didn't get very far however, because the rope abruptly pulled taunt and dragged her to the ground.

"Aw shit!" Aero cursed, fumbling for several moments before managing to find the release switch.

That allowed more rope to be unwound from the coil and gave Zoe the length she needed to run with it. She reached her target in record time and hastily wound the rope around it. Snarling, Zoe pulled the knot tight and jumped back in anticipation.

Much to her relief, the knot held firmly.

"Help me pull Sekata up." Aero ordered.

Wiping the sweat off her brow, Zoe took hold of the rope and begun pulling in unison with Aero.

* * *

Sekata snapped back to consciousness with a start.

Everything seemed dark, yet there were orange embers of a fire all around. The dragon tried to move and realized he couldn't. He tried to scream and roar, but his jaws refused to budge.

_No! No! NO! NNNOOOOOOOO! _

Not this…not again! Why was he here? Trapped down in some dark pits as a statue, never to move or see the light of day again. Muscles in every part of his body strained themselves. Wings, tail, arms and legs…but produced not a flicker of movement from them.

And in addition it was getting hot…very hot…

Those minutes seemed like years to him as Sekata's mind screamed in silent terror, playing all sorts of horrific images in his imagination.

But then, something did move. A glimmer of sliver.

_The rope…_

It was secured to his body…and it was moving, tugging him along.

_Zoe…Aero…_

Sekata relaxed slightly as his friends above hauled with all their might, dragging his petrified body out of the crater. Immediately, Sekata felt ashamed of himself.

It was all his own fault. He was the one who had panicked and fallen into the crater, knocking himself unconsciousness in the process. Once he'd come to, the fluid coating his body had coagulated, restricting his movements.

_I messed up…very badly… _The Vritramon sighed inwardly. _Some hero I'm supposed to be._

However, as Zoe and Aero continued to pull him back to safely, a faint glitter caught his eye. It was a barely visible purplish glow from somewhere just a little further below.

_The Chaos Shard! _Sekata realized, feeling even worse about himself. But he quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind.

All he wanted right now was to breathe in some fresh, surface air.


	51. The Hardest Burden to Bear

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**The Hardest Burden to Bear**

By nightdragon0

_Why was I so weak-willed? I could've ended everything there! _The thoughts welled up in Sekata's mind.

A sudden blast of flames brought him back to reality as the Dorugoramon howled in pain. He found himself swiping his claws about blindly as he gagged on the smoke. Of course, since all his claws went through was thin air, Sekata misjudged the distance and slammed into the wall.

Pounding the stone in frustration, Sekata pushed off and spiraled into his descent again. Despite the direction that gravity was pulling him in was downwards, every instinct in his body screamed for him to go up.

Back up to the surface, back up to safety. But no, he couldn't leave….

Then, Sekata felt something…a familiar aura surrounding his body. Somewhere along the line, he had involuntarily switched into his Vritramon form. It was probably what was still keeping him going.

However, the dragon was also drawing on a power he'd sworn never to use again. And in the corner of his eye, the reading on his D-Dragon's screen confirmed this.

_91 percent… _

Tapping further into the power of the two Legendary Spirits, Sekata shielded himself from the surrounding volcanic fires and continued on. But the intensity…it was too much!

_92 percent…_

On the verge of passing out, Sekata's claws fumbled about and came to rest upon the hilt of the Ryuukonken. The 'Dragon Soul Sword' and the very one AncientGreymon had given him when he'd signed that deal so long ago.

_Knock yourself out now and both of you die. _AncientGreymon's thoughts echoed in the dragon's mind. Or perhaps it was merely him imagining the ancient warrior's voice. _But maybe, just maybe you still have a chance. Hahahaha, if you're willing to take it that is…_

_93 percent…_

"NO! NNOO!" Sekata roared to no one in particular. "NNNNNOOOOO!"

_94 percent…_

_You don't have much of a choice kid. _The ominous voice repeated.

_He….he could be… _Sekata's mind howled in rage.

Through some shear force of willpower, Sekata gripped the hilt and drew the Ryuukonken from the sheath between his wings. And around his other claw, a blue ring of Digicode began to glow.

_No… don't make me do this…_ Sekata silently pleaded.

* * *

**Flashback…**

**Day 2**

"None of those two are the dragons in the carvings." The voice whispered from behind him.

"Nah, I never said that. But those are his friends." Dynamo replied. "The one you're looking for is probably out of town at the moment."

"So he is sure to return for them?"

"I'd expect him to."

"Good. We need to know if he really is the one depicted in our local legends."

Silently, Dynamo held up a photograph in his claws. Pictured on it was a series of carvings that he'd taken back in the ancient castle. These were mostly faded and indecipherable, but among the visible ones was the image of a castle with two dragon-like shapes battling over its roof.

Another image showed a tornado with all the wind swirls marked around it. A final carving was that of a large circle with another two dragons fighting within. A white one was standing over a purple one with a sword pierced through its opponent.

It was dumb luck that he'd come into town alone and had suddenly remembered to develop the images. Everything had been photographed months back as he'd made the point to return to the ancient castle with his companions. However, the pictures had been forgotten soon after and left sitting in his camera.

The photographs coming out of the printing machine had aroused curious glances from the other Digimon in the studio, but the robed humanoid figure known as Wisemon had taken a great interest in them. An Ultimate level Digimon, he was dressed in a red Arabic-style full body robe with a white hood over his head. It hid all of his facial features, except for the eyes, which gave off an eerie yellowish glow.

"What about those two?" Dynamo indicated in the direction that Steve and Janet had gone off in.

"We'll keep a careful watch on them for now." Wisemon decided, before continuing. "I have a couple of friends who would also be very keen to get their hands on your data. These images will prove a very valuable addition to our research."

"Research?" Dynamo wondered.

"That is none of your business outsider." The robed Digimon waved a hand. "Here, this is the payment for a copy of your data. I trust that it is enough to satisfy your tastes?"

"Pretty much." Dynamo juggled the pouch that was tossed to him before taking a look inside. His eyes widened at the sight of the gold coins and precious gems within. "This is more than I earn in a few months!"

"Good then, our deal is done." Wisemon pointed to a door at the back of the room. "This door will lead you up into a back alley. Follow the main street from there and it'll lead you out of town."

"Yeah, I got it." The Guilmon turned to leave, but hesitated for a moment. "Just one question."

"Hmm?"

"If they are the ones you're looking for, what are you going to do with them?"

"That is nothing you are required to know either." Came the reply. "I am treating you graciously for the data you've provided, but that cannot be extended if you choose to meddle in our affairs."

"Humph, fine." Dynamo huffed. "See ya around then."

The dino made his way out the door and along Wisemon's designated path. However, once he was out on the street and sure he wasn't being watched, Dynamo whipped out his communicator.

"Hey, erm, Junon?" Dynamo whispered. "I think we have a bit of a problem…"

* * *

"Whew…you satisfied now?" Steve panted.

"Yeah…" Janet reluctantly admitted. "Looks like we lost him."

Dripping with sweat and entirely out of breath, the two had finally stopped and were resting against a wall. A small drinks stand was located nearby, with a brown bird-like Hawkmon perched on the counter.

Steve bought a couple of cans and joined Janet in gulping them down.

"We really should've gone with Sekata." Steve muttered.

"I know, all right?" His Strikedramon companion replied. "You don't have to keep reminding me about it."

"I'm just stating a fact."

"Grrr…shut up."

Licking off the last drops of drink, Steve leaned back against the wall and crushed the empty can in his claws.

"Say, what is it between you and him anyway?" The Flamedramon quickly asked.

"Who?"

"You know? Dynamo…"

"Grrr…"

"Eep! Don't kill me!" Steve held up his arms defensively.

"Why ask me this now?" Janet huffed.

"Well, it's kinda obvious that he has…well this thing for you."

"For some entirely deranged reason, he does. But it's not mutual, trust me." The purple dragoness folded her arms. "But it doesn't concern you."

"Erm…well besides the fact that he's tried to kill you a couple of times?"

"Intentionally and unintentionally? Or maybe both. Half the time, that scatter-brain doesn't even know what's going on." Janet growled.

"Love has a tendency of working both ways." Steve whispered.

"What?"

"Erm, nothing!"

"I ask again, how come you're asking me this now?"

'Well, I…erm…you see, I…" Steve staggered.

"Just spit it out already!" Janet grabbed the end of his snout and tugged hard.

Steve grunted out something indecipherable, mainly because Janet was pulling his nose. However, the female suddenly stopped and turned towards an approaching shadow… Sealsdramon.

"Excuse me, but I'll have to ask you two to come with me." The black dragon said calmly.

Janet could practically sense the malice in this character and glared him in the eye. She noted too that the streets around them were suddenly deserted.

"And if we don't want to?" She asked.

"Then I'll have to ask nicely again."

The Strikedramon shot a quick look to Steve, who returned it with a nod of confirmation.

"In that case…" Janet faced Sealsdramon. "My answer is….RRAAARRR!"

Steve spun around and hurled his can, smacking Sleipmon right between the eyes as the centaur emerged from a nearby building. Janet ploughed into Sealsdramon with her shoulder and knocked him to the ground before breaking into a mad dash down the street.

At the next T-junction, the two ran into Wisemon, who hurled a glowing red ball of energy at them. The dragons skidded to a halt and turned down the other path as the explosion stirred up a large cloud of dust.

"Man, what did we do to piss 'em off?" Steve panted.

"You're asking me?" Janet called back. "Man, I knew I had a bad feeling about this place! Get ready to switch to a flying form. We've got to get out of here and warn…"

WHAM! Sealsdramon abruptly leapt off a nearby roof and knocked Janet to the ground. Snarling, Steve lashed out with his claws. However, the black dragon was faster and jumped to the side.

The Flamedramon stumbled on Janet's legs and hit the ground hard. Janet pretty much ignored him and sprang to her feet, slashing at Sealsdramon. Fast as she was, her opponent was quicker and jumped up against the wall.

Using a pair of daggers, he jabbed them into the stone and clung there.

"Commandos VS the SEALS." He laughed. "You don't stand a chance!"

"Oh yeah?" Janet growled. "Put some bite into your bark!"

"Delighted to oblige." Sealsdramon grinned, tossing a fistful of small darts.

Janet avoided the storm with a back flip and came charging forward the moment her feet were on the ground. Even as Sealsdramon dropped down from the wall, he was able to duck under Janet's tail lash and swing his elbow.

That literally knocked the wind out of Janet's stomach as she stumbled backwards.

* * *

Meanwhile, Steve rolled onto his back, groaning, and suddenly found a pair of hooves pinning his arms down. That was accompanied by a crossbow being jabbed into his forehead.

"Humph." Sleipmon readied the trigger. "No challenge at all."

"Stop! Don't fire you fool!" Wisemon shouted, stepping onto the scene. "We need them alive if we're to bait their friends here."

"Oh, will you…"

Steve took advantage of the distraction and sank his fangs into the unarmored section of Sleipmon's leg.

_Yuck! Jeez! Where has this guy been walking? _His mind stung as an odd taste filled the fire dragon's mouth.

When the centaur reared up in surprise, Steve raised both legs and knocked the larger Digimon away. In the same motion, he grabbed the crossbow from the off-balanced Sleipmon and rolled to the side.

"Ha! Look who's talking now!" Steve grinned, pointing the weapon triumphantly at Wisemon.

"Ahem." The robed figure grunted, gesturing towards the floor.

Steve's grin quickly faded as he realized the crossbow was empty and its only arrow lying on the ground.

"CRAP!"

Sleipmon was getting back to his feet by this time with a very annoyed look on his face. Thinking fast, Steve threw the heavy crossbow at Wisemon, who knocked it away.

And unfortunately, into a stack of crates which unceremoniously toppled down onto the two.

"Opps." Steve chuckled. "Hey Jan!"

The Strikedramon was throwing random punches at Sealsdramon, who nimbly sidestepped each one. Upon hearing Steve's call, a sneaky grin crossed his face. The soldier stepped backwards, forcing Janet to push her body further in order to hit him.

And in a fit of rage, she lunged forward with full force.

Smirking, Sealsdramon ducked…leaving the dragoness' fist to deck Steve instead.

WHAM!

"Ouch…jeezz…" Steve moaned before hitting the ground with swirls in his eyes.

"Lady, you could sure use some anger management." Sealsdramon laughed.

"Grrr…" Janet whirled around. "I'll show you who needs…rrarrrggghhh!"

Sealsdramon had swung a hidden stun rod against her stomach. Its electrical current continued to surge through her body as the Strikedramon collapsed, convulsing.

The last thing Janet remembered was looking up into the faces of Sealsdramon, Sleipmon and Wisemon before darkness overtook her vision.

* * *

**Day 3, Early Morning**

"I'm sorry about that guys." Sekata muttered as he trudged unhappily down the path. Now back to his Dorugoramon form, Sekata walked alongside Zoe and Aero as they returned to the town.

"As long as you're all right." Zoe replied, putting an arm around his waist. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have forced you to do that."

"No, this time the fault is mine."

"We shouldn't be taking the time to start blaming each other." Aero cut in. "Unfortunately, we lost almost all our equipment. I sent Katsu a message and he promise to scrounge up some new stuff. However, I have no idea how long it'll take."

"He'll figure something out." Zoe nodded. "I'm sure of it."

"I wish I shared your optimism Zoe…" Sekata muttered. "And we were so close too. Now we're no longer equipped to go back down."

"Patience is the mother of all virtues Sekata." Aero spoke.

"In other words, we'll think of something eventually." Zoe nodded. "How about we just get some rest first?"

"Sounds good to me." Sekata agreed. "I'm completely drained."

Having spent most of the night recovering from the volcano's ordeal, the group had finally gathered up enough strength to return to the village, arriving in the early hours of the morning. They still had to meet up with Steve and Janet to discuss their next course of action.

As expected, the streets were empty, although a few houses here and there still had their windows lit up.

"No one out here." Aero noted. "Of course, it is the middle of the night."

"Guys, do you hear that?" Zoe asked as they moved onto the tiled road.

It was the odd, combined murmuring of a crowd, somewhere further into the town. The trio followed their ears, eventually arriving at the town square. An astonishingly large crowd was gathered at the area behind the fountain.

"What's going on?" Sekata wondered, craning his neck.

"Look! There he is!" A voice called from the crowd.

Immediately, all the Digimon present turned towards Sekata and his companions.

"What the hell?" Sekata muttered in disbelief, involuntarily backing away from the seemingly angry mob.

Reacting on instinct, the dragon jerked his wing to the side upon hearing a metallic click. He felt a gust of wind rush past as a dagger narrowly missed piercing the bone.

"Should've taken our advice earlier, stranger." Sealsdramon taunted, perched casually on a roof.

"Why you!" The Dorugoramon growled.

"This isn't the time for that!" Aero urged. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Oh I wouldn't think so." Sealsdramon gestured.

The crowd had moved away from the point they'd been converged upon earlier. And it left Sekata and the others staring in horror.

Strung up to some sort of medieval torture devices were the limp forms of Steve and Janet. Both were hanging upright, with their heads and wrists sticking out through a flat, parallel slab of metal. Additional clamps had also been placed around their wrists and necks, with their jaws muzzled shut.

Going downwards was the 'body' of the T-shaped structure, which had a hole in its base to fasten their tails. At that base was a similar metal slab to the top, only that it was to help to secure the chains around their ankles instead. Various straps were also fastened around their waists and knees, allowing almost no movement if either had been conscious.

But unconscious or dead, there was no way to tell.

As enraged as Sekata felt, he quickly realized that the distraction had cost him. Aero, Zoe and himself were now surrounded by the mob of Digimon.

_At least they're not waving flaming torches and pitchforks at me. _Sekata thought dryly.

"Hey!"

All heads turned up to the source of the voice. An armored figure in black and gray, valiantly shoving his flapping black cape out of the way. It as Dynamo, in his Mega level Chaos Dukemon form.

"You…" Zoe gasped.

"Run! Now!" Dynamo shouted, tossing a handful of grenades into the crowd. Each one exploded in a huge cloud of smoke, creating an instantaneous source of chaos.

"No! Get that one!" Sealsdramon could be heard yelling. "That one!"

Zoe coughed on the smoke and suddenly felt Aero grab her arm. He dragged Zoe down a small street, with several of the townsfolk hot on their heels. Unfortunately, he was unaware that Sekata was nowhere nearby.

* * *

"Rarrggh!" The moment the smoke burst out, Sekata immediately ploughed his way through the confused crowd.

"Steve! Jan!"

The Dorugoramon felt so stupid. He should've thought of contacting the pair earlier. Or maybe he should've waited for them instead. He could've warned them about Sealsdramon and his buddy behaving suspiciously.

But no, he'd been too focused on the Chaos Shard instead. And after his blotched up attempt at the volcano, Zoe and Aero had been too busy tending to him to think about Steve or Janet.

Yet another burden rested on his shoulders. Sekata felt so sick and tired of everything.

In the midst of his thoughts, Sekata ran into the centaur Sleipmon, who raised his front legs and shot a fierce kick into his face. Sekata's back hit the ground hard, but he quickly rolled away as the centaur stomped down.

Taking advantage of the missed attack, Sekata swung his barbed tail twice, both times catching Sleipmon on his armored shoulder. Sealsdramon suddenly dropped in from above, landing on Sekata's back and pinning his wings to the ground. However, Sekata was strong enough to heave up and shove the soldier off.

So, the struggle continued…

* * *

"Sekata's not here." Zoe panted.

"He'll have to take care of himself for now." Aero called back. "Hopefully he's got the common sense to do that."

"But the others…"

"We'll have to save ourselves before we can save them! Whoa!"

The street in front of them was suddenly blocked by several of the locals, forcing the two to detour down another path. Aero and Zoe were running by an alley when a pair of huge hands suddenly reached out and dragged them in.

With their jaws firmly held shut, all the pair could manage was a few muffled grunts.

"Shhh!" Whispered a familiar voice. "I'm here to help."

It was Blappa, the Zudomon blacksmith, who turned his back towards the street and shoved the two further down the alley.

"Hey guys, in here!" Ace the Betamon stuck his head out of a nearby dumpster.

"Are you trying to choke us?" Aero panted as Blappa released his grip. The massive Digimon obviously wasn't a very good judge of his own strength.

"Give us a bit to breath first!" Zoe added in.

"No time! Hide!" Blappa urged.

Without much of an alternative, the dragons shoved themselves into the dumpster and pulled the lid shut. Huddled in the damp stinking darkness, Aero and Zoe tried their best to control their panting. Both for the sake of keeping their noise level to a minimum and trying not to take in whatever foul smells were in the trash.

"Over there!" Blappa could be heard shouting from the outside. "I think they went that way!"

The rambunctious clattering of feet and shouting soon followed as the crowd dashed past. Several tense moments of silence followed before Blappa opened the lid.

"You two all right?" He whispered.

"Yeah, aside from the smell and the fact that we almost suffocated inside a dumpster." Zoe moaned sarcastically.

"It's not that bad." Ace grinned.

"Why is it that you're helping us?" Aero asked. "And what's going on here? Why's the whole town suddenly after us?"

"Well, I owe you guys for saving my grandson." Blappa scratched his chin. "That's reason enough for me."

"But won't you be in trouble if…"

"That's why we should discuss this back at my place." The blacksmith hushed him with a wave of his finger. "Ace will show you the way, and I'll catch up later. Hurry now, you don't want to be caught out here."

With that, the Zudomon hurried out onto the street, quickly disappearing from view.

"This way you two." Ace scampered to a pile of cardboard boxes at the wall and pushed them aside, revealing a relatively large hole in the wall.

"Come on, you old people aren't afraid, aren't you?"

"Old?" Aero muttered. "Excuse me young man! You'd better watch that mouth of yours…"

However, Ace was already gone, crawling through the hole with a soft giggle.

Zoe and Aero glanced at each other, silently exchanging thoughts. At least following the kid was a whole lot better that going up against the angry mob.

* * *

Under the cover of his smoke grenade, Dynamo dashed up to where Janet and Steve were hung up. He ripped the muzzles off both of them, which was enough to stir Janet out of her daze.

"Oww….huh? Wah…what's going on?" She blurted out. "You! What the heck are you doing here?"

"I've come to rescue you princess." Dynamo replied. "You can thank me later, but I…"

WHAM!

A Holsmon (Halsemon) suddenly came flying through the air. The armored form of a Hawkmon with the Digimetal of Love, it somewhat resembled a brown griffin with a metallic helmet. It was that helmet that slammed into the back of Dynamo's neck and sent the black knight smashing into a wall.

Uttering a long groan, Dynamo slid down onto the floor with a dull thud.

"Well nice job!" Janet screeched. "I'd have better luck being rescued by an onion!"

The growls and roars quickly turned her attention to Sekata, who was fighting off a second Holsmon and a Silphymon. The latter of which was a bird-like humanoid, with a masked face, a white upper body, brown feathered legs and taloned feet. Although he didn't have wings, Silphymon had a set of tail feathers at his rear and a set of five-fingered claws for hands.

Sekata easily dodged a lunge from the Holsmon and kicked him aside. A move similar to that one had been the source of Dynamo's misfortune moments earlier.

"Top Gun!" Silphymon gathered up a wave of pink energy and fired it into Sekata's body.

While Sekata reared back from the shock, a Seadramon wrapped its serpent-like body around his chest and neck. Choking and gasping, Sekata struggled against the coils, but Sleipmon and Sealsdramon were upon him by this time.

There were just too many enemies for him to fight off in his exhausted state. Janet too was screaming out something….but Sekata wasn't able to catch anything before he was pounded into submission.

Sealsdramon's stun rod was out again, jabbed into Sekata's battered form to make sure he was out.

"That's enough." Wisemon stepped forward, the crowd parting to give him way. "Get him secured before he wakes up, and bring him down to my place."

"How about the two blue dragons?" Sealsdramon asked. "Reports have come back that they've given us the slip."

"They're not a big concern, just as long as they don't interfere." The robed wizard decided. "Just keep a lookout and apprehend them if necessary."

Sleipmon and Sealsdramon dragged Sekata's unconscious form away while the general crowd started to disperse as well.

"Hey! Hey! What about us?" Janet roared, struggling against her restraints.

"You'll be hanging out here for a while." Sealsdramon turned his head. "Oh, and keep your chin up."

"Grrr! Rarrrggghhh!" The Strikedramon wiggled in vain.

* * *

**Day 3, Evening**

"Uughhh…" Sekata awoke to an odd sensation.

It felt strangely cold, and…wet. A series of bubbles then floated past, causing Sekata's eyes to snap open. The dragon went into a panicked frenzy, threshing his body around wildly.

As the initial stages of panic passed, Sekata realized that he wasn't drowning and felt an oxygen mask around his face and snout. It seemed that he was trapped inside a transparent tank of water, placed in some dark room. Clamps held his legs and tail to the base of the tank while Sekata found his claws chained together around his back, thus restricting the movement of his wings.

Nevertheless, Sekata tested the bonds with all his might and found that they held tightly. He would not be going anywhere for a while. Even his flames would be useless underwater.

"I hope that you'll get used to your new surroundings." Sealsdramon stepped into his view, calmly pressing his face against the outside glass wall of the tank.

His breathing device apparently had a two-way microphone installed into it, allowing him to talk to the people outside the tank and vice-versa.

"Grrr…" Sekata snarled furiously.

Sealsdramon flipped a switch on the outside, suddenly cutting off Sekata's air supply. Sekata struggled and screeched until he was literally blue in the face before Sealsdramon reopened the flow of oxygen.

"There, perhaps that'll make you a bit more willing to co-operate with us." The black dragon chuckled.

"What have you done with my friends?" Sekata demanded.

"Oh, they're all not harmed if you're wondering." Sealsdramon replied. "It's you that we're really interested in."

"In me?" Sekata asked.

"I'm very sure you're already familiar with the terms of CHAOS and all." The robe wizard, Wisemon, walked into view, accompanied by Sleipmon. "But how rude, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Wisemon. Along with my two cohorts here, we are the descendents of the priests and templars who've watched over the sacred volcano Akchenedash for generations."

"Hmm…"

"You don't sound very convinced." Wisemon chuckled. "Well allow me to refresh your memory a little. CHAOS, thought of as a collection of 'energy', dark emotions, desires and lost souls. In the past, many have been corrupted by it, and an equal number have risen to the challenge of destroying it. They've come close, but never truly succeeded in destroying the CHAOS in its own dimension between the many worlds."

"Our ancestors were greatly involved in this prophecy, and built this town here. Close to the volcano that the chosen ones would cross one day." Sealsdramon continued, his tone suddenly having changed to a more serious one. "And so, those like us await the coming of the chosen ones. Or so the old prophecy goes."

Quite true, for Zoe and Janet had once met a Seraphimon who'd told them this very tale.

"But you say that as if there is more." Sekata remarked.

"Our recent research uncovered a hidden set of notes." Wisemon nodded. "Telling of another…one chosen by CHAOS. One that would work against the others, and bring destruction instead. However, the outcome was never prophesized and remains to be decided."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"You needn't act ignorant, we already suspect who you are." Wisemon held up Sekata's D-Dragon. "What we are interested to know, is about these."

The robed figure placed the photographs he'd gotten from Dynamo against the tank's glass wall. Sekata carefully stared at each one. From the castle with the two dragons battling over its roof, the images of the tornado and a white dragon was standing over the purple one with a sword pierced through its opponent.

Two of the three images had the same dragon in it…one that, from the design of the wings, could almost have been…

_No, it couldn't be. _Sekata told himself. _I'm jumping to conclusions. A lot of other dragons have similar wing designs. It's too hard to tell… _

"Don't know anything, huh?" Sealsdramon said with a disappointed tone.

"Odd…I sense some strange power source within this." Wisemon turned Sekata's D-Dragon in his hands.

_Oh no! Did he…_ Sekata glanced frantically around and spotted the Ryuukonken propped up against a wall. _Whew, so it isn't AncientGreymon's power that he's sensing. But then, what is it?_

"Something new?" The normally silent Sleipmon muttered.

"Merits further investigation." Wisemon raised the D-Dragon and placed his hands on top of it.

The Digivice began to glow with a deep purple light. As Sekata watched, the light grew brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, a bright flash emitted that caused Wisemon to scream out loud. His companions jumped back in shock, but the ray of light that emerged only swirled around them…and went right for Sekata instead.

The dragon roared as the beam forced itself through the glass and into his chest. And he roared for a long time, with his eyes wide in horror.

Sealsdramon and Sleipmon uncovered their heads once the lights were gone to see a moaning Wisemon unconscious on the ground and Sekata stumped back in the tank he was locked in. The Dorugoramon's eyes were wide as his body went into violent convulsions.

Eventually, Sekata's body fell limp and stopped moving. However, his eyes remained open with their pupils dilated, as if in some kind of trance. Both Sealsdramon and Sleipmon were too stunned to do anything but stare blankly from the unconscious Wisemon, to Sekata and to each other.

"What the hell?" Sealsdramon finally managed.

* * *

**Day 3, Night**

"Achoo!" Zoe sneezed, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself.

Seated at the fireplace next to her, Aero shivered and sipped from a cup of hot drink. Outside, the lightning could be seen flashing as the rain and wind beat wildly against the windows of the blacksmith's shop.

"Erm, I guess I shouldn't have led you guys all the way through the sewers." Ace muttered nervously, curled up on a chair.

"Yeah, we aren't exactly water-types like you." Aero looked up. "But seemed like it was the best way to lay low, especially with the entire town searching for us."

"And you should be safe enough here." Blappa lumbered over and placed another hot kettle down on the mat.

"We really appreciate all the help." Zoe managed a smile, although she too was shivering from the cold.

"They say you guys were messing around with the volcano." Blappa took a seat beside the two. "That true?"

"Well…" Zoe looked away.

"Relax, if I was going to turn you in, I would've done so already." Blappa assured. "Besides, I don't really believe in the sacred volcano and all that stuff. An old fellow like me just doesn't have the energy anymore."

"We've got to go back for the others." Aero spoke up. "Steve, Jan…and wherever Sekata is. But, damn, I just feel so exhausted right now."

"You've barely had any rest, that's why." Blappa put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried about your friends, but you need to take care of yourselves too."

"They may not be outside searching for us, but it doesn't mean that they're not on alert." Zoe reminded the Aero V-dramon.

With the three deeply engrossed in their conversation, Ace scampered off his chair unnoticed and walked over to the back door. As silently as he could, Ace slipped out into the pouring rain and moved under the shadows.

"I'll go find your friends." The Betamon whispered. "Just wait for me!"

* * *

"Aarrrggghh! Hey! Somebody out there?" Steve screamed. "Hey! Let me out of here! Hey! Hello?"

"Will you mind shutting up?" Janet snapped from his left side. "You've been doing nothing but complaining for the past hour!"

"Yeah, but…"

DRIP! DRIP! A couple of raindrops leaked from the warehouse's ceiling and onto Steve's head.

"Grrr! This is driving me crazy!"

"At least they moved us out of the thunderstorm." Janet sighed.

The pair was still strapped to the T-shaped torture devices, only that they'd been moved from the open town square to the inside of a dark, dingy warehouse.

However, they now had another 'companion'…Dynamo, who'd been strung up to a similar structure nearby. A part of Janet felt relieved that the Chaos Dukemon was still unconscious for the moment.

"Oohh! My wrists are sore, my neck is strained…garrggh! My whole body's aching!" Steve continued moaning. "Plus, I can barely move a muscle…urgh! Hey!"

Steve was suddenly cut off by a hard blow to his stomach. He glanced down in surprise to see Janet triumphantly raising her right leg and wiggling her toes.

"Hey, how did you…"

"Managed to wiggle it out while you were busy moping." Janet grinned. "Sekata's earlier rescue attempt must've loosened the straps somehow."

"Great, but what do you plan to do?" Steve shot back. "Untie us with your foot?"

"Well at least I've gotten somewhere!" Janet growled. "I don't see you contributing!"

"Oh really? Well just look down here." Steve wiggled his left thigh, which was covered by a fire-patterned plate of armor. "I've got a fusion cutter hidden inside."

A fusion cutter was basically a small, metal rod from which a superheated blade could be extended. It was more of a craftsman's tool, used to cut through most metals, but had also been adapted for more general usages.

"I take back everything I just said." Janet cried happily. "You're a miracle worker Steve!"

"Aw hehe!" The Flamedramon chuckled, motioning to the pieces of armor over his claws. "You should see what I have in my gauntlets."

"And what do you have in there?"

"Erm, when I'm not wearing them that is!" He nervously replied. "Just reach for the fusion cutter and get us out."

"Ok…" The Strikedramon grunted, stretching her leg out. "Ugh, I can't move my neck enough to see properly. You'll have to guide me."

"All right, just…urgh! Jan!" Steve gasped as Janet accidentally kicked him in the side. "Be careful!"

"Sorry!"

"Well, forward a bit." Steve instructed. "Yeah, that's good. Now just a bit lower, and…yup, now right a bit."

"Like this?" Janet felt her foot against what she assumed was his stomach area.

"Hey! That tickles!" The fire dragon giggled. "Down…right…hehe! Stop it!"

"Oh shut up and hold still!"

"No Jan! Not there!"

Too late, Janet felt something odd beneath her talons. It seemed like a more lightly scaled part of his stomach…with a strange bulge beneath.

"Erm…Jan?" Steve muttered nervously. "You're foot's on…well…my….you know? Guy's area?"

"Oh for fu…" Janet instantly went red in the face.

WHAM!

"Guarrgghh! What was that for?" Steve gawked, reeling back from the shock.

Dragons, like many reptiles, had several protective folds of skin covering their more 'sensitive' gender specific organs instead of having external ones. However, it didn't mean that the blow was fully absorbed.

"That was for embarrassing me." The Strikedramon snarled furiously.

"What? Hey you were the one who started it!"

"Steve, let me make this clear to you. If you dare mention this to anyone at all…I am going to make sure I castrate that dragon male-hood of yours myself!"

"Eep…yes madam!"

"Now, you'd better direct me properly this time!"

"Ok! Ok! It's just a little to the left now. You had your foot too high up just now."

This time, Janet felt the piece of leg armor beneath her foot and reached down with her toes.

"Got it!" Janet felt the metal rod and flipped it upwards, catching it in her right claw.

Although the movement of her wrist was limited, it was enough to flick the fusion cutter on and position it to properly cut through the bonds.

* * *

"Hey Junon, we've been out here for practically a day!" Metallix dragged his feet along the rocky path. "Can't we go back?"

"No, I definitely picked up Lord Lucifer's signal around here." Junon tugged his arm, holding up an electronic communicator.

The area around the volcano was an entire mountain range, with dozens of valleys and pathways leading off in many different directions. Junon and Metallix were wandering around one of the valleys below, not too far off from the volcano Akchenedash.

Of course, it wasn't an easy task making their way by flashlight, but Junon had stubbornly insisted on carrying on. The earlier thunderstorm had forced the pair to take cover in a nearby cavern, only emerging now as the storm had slowed to a drizzle.

"How about Dynamo's then?" Metallix asked.

"I couldn't get all of his babbling, but he said he had to do something and shut off his communicator after that." Junon replied. "I haven't been able to contact him since then."

"Isn't that strange?"

"Not for that clown at least. Besides, I don't have time to be babysitting him when there are more important things to…huh?"

A burst of static came over the communicator, causing both knight and wolf to pause and listen closely.

"_Hiss_….n…n…ood. _Hiss!_" The voice on the other end cried.

"Is that…" Metallix gasped.

"Sir? Is that you?" Junon shook the communicator. "Please respond!"

Several tense moments followed as nothing but static came over the transmission. However, a distinguishable voice finally came over the speakers.

"Not…_hiss_…good." Lucifer whispered, with a distinctive tone of fear in his voice. "I've…failed…"

* * *

"Now that's much better." Steve stretched his cramped arms and legs, whipping his tail about in joy.

"I have no argument in that." Janet nodded, making similar stretches.

The dragons threw aside the last of the chains and quickly glanced around the dark warehouse. And frankly, there wasn't much to see other than shelves and boxes stacked up in the corners.

"We'd better get out of here quick." Janet suggested. "Seems that they haven't posted anyone to watch us, but we'd better not push our luck."

"And where do you suggest we go?" Steve shrugged. "Strolling out into the middle of town is certainly out of the question."

"Hey guys!"

A metal panel suddenly fell, clattering noisily against the ground. Steve and Janet jerked their heads up to see an air vent on the wall…and a Betamon waving to them.

"Ace!" The pair gasped in unison.

"I came to rescue you." Ace called. "Or at least, find out where you were so your friends could rescue you."

"Any help is appreciated kiddo!" Steve grinned. "I hope that air vent of yours leads us outside!"

"That and better! Zoe and Aero are hiding out at my grandpa's place. And I found your big scary dragon friend too."

"You mean Sekata?"

"Yeah him! He's in the basement of fortune teller's shrine."

"Great, maybe we can rescue Sekata and then meet up with Zoe and Aero." Steve suggested.

"Provided we are able to do that without causing a huge racket." Janet reminded him.

"We'll think of something." Steve nodded as he begun to stack up some boxes in order to reach the air vent. "By the way, what about him?"

"Who?"

"Him." Steve pointed towards Dynamo, who was still tied to the T-shaped structure.

"So? What about him?" Janet snapped.

"You're just going to leave him?"

"And what's the problem with that?"

"Well, nothing. It's just that…"

"Oh, I guess I should do something." Janet walked over to Dynamo's position, grabbing something from a nearby box that Steve couldn't make out.

"Urghh…oww…." Dynamo moaned as Janet approached and suddenly looked up. "Hey princess…"

"You can 'hey' yourself!" The Strikedramon snarled, bringing up the metallic object in her claws.

WHAM!

"Ugh…" Dynamo barely even knew what'd hit him before he was out cold again.

Satisfied, Janet tossed the dented frying pan away and strode back to Steve and Ace.

"Now I'm done. So come on, let's go find Sekata."

Steve and Ace stared at each other, with large sweatdrops appearing on their foreheads.

* * *

"Sekata? Hey Sekata!"

Who? That voice seemed so familiar.

"Hey Sekata! Are you awake? It's me Steve!"

The Dorugoramon had to blink several times to clear his vision, with the water in his tank adding to the frustration. When he could finally see however, Sekata found his Flamedramon companion's face pressed against the glass wall of his prison.

"Finally, you're up!" Steve gasped. "And I thought what they did to Jan and me was bad!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Janet dropped in from an air vent located on the wall and quickly examined the room. Upon sensing no danger, the commando dragon moved towards the single door and pushed it shut.

"Sorry!" Steve whispered. "Hey Sekata, I'll have you out of that fish tank as soon as I figure out the controls."

"Steve…" Sekata groaned through the mouthpiece within his breathing apparatus.

Despite its small size, everything had seemed so peaceful within his glass prison. Sekata could vaguely remember losing consciousness, and falling into a deep sleep soon after…

"No…no…" The Dorugoramon blurted out. "No….don't! Get away from me!"

"Sekata! Not so loud!" Steve urged. "You'll…"

"NO! RRRRAAARRRGGGHH!" Sekata roared, threshing about. "Stay away from me!"

"Hey, what's going on there?" Janet hissed.

"Calm down man!" Steve waved his arms about in panic.

"Stay away! RRAARRR! Stay away from me! I'm dangerous!"

"Get a hold of yourself and work with me here!" Steve pleaded. "If you keep making a racket like that you'll…"

"CHAOS…no….the volcano…no I can't!" Sekata's babbling and random struggling continued nevertheless. "I can't be near! Keep them away! Stay away!"

"Hey, who's there?" A voice recognizable as Sealsdramons' came from the outside.

"Crap, we've got company!" Janet slammed the door and latched it. Desperately, she pulled a bookshelf over and shoved it against the door in an attempt to hold it shut.

"RAARRR! Stay away! Get AWAY!" Sekata howled.

In the midst of his maddened struggling, the chains holding his claws together snapped. Steve stepped back as Sekata swung them and shattered the glass walls with a few strong slashes.

The Flamedramon fought the sudden rush of water, struggling to keep his position.

"Sekata! What's happened to you?" Steve called, reaching his claw out. "You're…"

"RRROOAAARRR!"

"Garrrgghh!" Steve suddenly fell back, clutching the bleeding left side of his face in pain.


	52. Chaos Seed

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Chaos Seed**

By nightdragon0

_I didn't really mean it that way Steve. _Sekata's world seemed to pull to a halt as he thought back to that particular incident. _It wasn't because I'd lost my mind, or that I was in the process of doing so._

The flames rushed past the Vritramon's face, forcing him to close his eyes for a moment.

_It wasn't because I was afraid of the volcano, or afraid of CHAOS. I was afraid…because the moment Wisemon tried to tap into my D-Dragon, I learnt the truth. The energies within seemed to sense his probing, and in some strange reaction…opened my eyes to everything._

Even the wind, his falling sensation…everything came to a halt as Sekata tried to justify his actions with his own consciousness.

_Who I was really meant to be…my purpose here…I suddenly knew it all. _Sekata said to himself. _AncientGreymon…you knew all this from the very beginning. And you hinted me back then…the first time that I acquired my Dorugoramon form. Drawing on powers from deep within that rift in space…powers I barely even understood. _

_I've never know if it was even right to believe you, but still…you have told me the truth… your own fragmented version of it._

Somewhere deep within, Sekata felt that the ancient dragon's spirit was laughing. But at what? His stupidity? His naïve self? Or most likely a combination of many other factors.

Sekata's eyes snapped open as he felt the counter go up another notch, beeping at 95 percent.

_It's either I give up to AncientGreymon or give up to the 'dark half'. And looks like the situation has played the cards against me being able to make a choice. Everyone…I'm sorry._

The armored dragon brought up the glowing ring of Digicode at his right hand and moved it closer to the D-Dragon on his left.

_Zoe…I'm sorry…I hope…you'll be….prepared…too…_

"Hyper…Spirit…"

* * *

**Flashback…**

**Day 3, Night**

"Garrgghh! What the?" Steve screeched in pain. One hand was clutched over his face while the other was fumbling about for his facemask, which had been knocked off during the sudden attack.

"RROOOAARR!"

"Hey, what the heck is going on back there?" Janet yelled, shoving her entire body weight against the bookshelf that was holding the door shut.

She craned her neck to see Steve crawling up with blood on his claws and Sekata raving about like a mad dragon. With a chill, it reminded her of the first time Sekata had acquired that Dorugoramon form. In fact, the only thing keeping Sekata from charging out and tearing them to ribbons were the restraints around his lower body.

"Arrr…I don't know!" Steve shouted his reply.

The claw had gone relatively deep, but had fortunately missed anything major. The result was three parallel, diagonal lines across the left side of his face, with two of them positioned just around his left eye.

As much as Sekata seemed to be babbling and growling out nonsense, Janet could've swore she heard things along the line of 'stay away' and 'I'm dangerous'.

Steve however, probably got the better picture of it. With Janet distracted trying to hold the door closed, there came a point where Sekata ran out of breath and lowered his claws.

"I…I can't go…on…" He panted.

"What?" Steve gasped. "Are you all right? Sekata?"

"Leave me…just…leave me…"

"Are you crazy?"

"I can't take this anymore! This destiny…CHAOS…the shard…everything! I can't go on!"

"So what? You're just gonna quit?" Steve snapped.

"I never asked for any of this!" Sekata barely seemed to respond to Steve, remaining in his depressed state.

"Hey neither did we! But do you see any of us backing out? We're in this together! All of us!"

"Just leave me…I'm not…going back…to the volcano again…"

"Is that it? Don't be a quitter Sekata!"

"Don't call me that! Don't you DARE CALL ME THAT! RRAARRRR! YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND!" Sekata roared, losing whatever was left of his sentient tone and abruptly going back to his salvage slashing.

And there was Sealsdramon banging on the door too. Ace was waiting for them in the air vent, however it would be hell trying to get Sekata to co-operate in this state. So, Janet had to make a decision…and quick.

"Steve! Leave him and let's get out of here!"

"What?" The Flamedramon protested.

"Now! Go dammit!" Janet ordered, praying her friend would listen.

Cracks begun to appear in the door as the bookshelf was knocked down by the constant banging. Sealsdramon was slowly punching his way through. Taking a deep breath, Janet drew back and punched it with all her might.

The Strikedramon's armored fist went right through, smacking Sealsdramon squarely on the jaw and throwing him backwards. She then turned and bolted for the air vent, where Steve was already scrambling up.

"What about Sekata?" Ace asked desperately. The Betamon had apparently been watching the entire scene below.

"There's no time now! We'll have to come back later!" Janet replied as she crawled through the vent.

"But…" Ace began.

"Go now!" Janet hissed, shoving the child along.

* * *

In the room below, Sealsdramon finally burst in, only to find the partially bound Sekata raging mad and slashing about in frenzy.

He forgot all about the intruders and got to work with his stun rod, jabbing it again and again into Sekata's body. It was a long time before the Dorugoramon finally fell unconscious and lay still.

"Whew…" The black dragon panted, wiping the beads of sweat off his brow.

The intruders were long gone by the time he thought of them again. However, he had a strong suspicion about who they were.

"The lady sure packs a mean punch." He muttered, rubbing his sore jaw.

That was one thing Sealsdramon wouldn't be telling Sleipmon or any other member of the crew that would come along to clean the mess up.

* * *

"Man, that was a wasted chance." Aero sighed.

"Hey, I didn't see you guys trying to get Sekata out of there." Steve retorted.

"What I meant was that you guys should've come back here first since Ace was with you." Aero clarified. "We were worried sick!"

Led by Ace, Steve and Janet had managed to make their way back to the blacksmith's shop unnoticed. However, during the exchange of information, a heated conversation had suddenly erupted.

The pair had bumped into Aero and Zoe, who were about to about to go off on their own search and rescue mission for Ace. Blappa had stomped out of the house earlier for the same reason, although he promised not to stir up anyone in town.

"We did what we thought was best." Janet snapped. "And it didn't work out. So we'll just need to re-work our plan and go back in there."

"Not me at least." Steve waved his hands. "One slash is enough. And I'm sure Sekata was in his right mind, just that he was utterly panicked."

"I know he'd possibly be feeling that way after the volcano incident, plus the one in town." Zoe interrupted. "But I don't think he meant it Steve."

"Even if he didn't, I'm still pissed off! Ow!" Steve winced as Ace cleaned his face wound with a wet towel.

"At what? Because Sekata hit you?"

"That and because he wanted to quit on us!" Steve fumed. "I heard it with my own ears!"

"You're probably the only one who heard it." Janet spoke up. "I was distracted with Sealsdramon on the other side of the room.

"Jan! Back me up here!" Steve moaned.

"I never said I doubted you." The Strikedramon got to her feet. "But we've got to stop quarreling amongst ourselves. Sealsdramon and his gang are most likely looking out for us now, and we're wasting precious time just sitting here!"

"So, what do you suggest?" Aero queried.

"We go back and get Sekata out of there, pronto." Janet snapped her fingers. "They definitely know we're coming, so we'll use force if we have to."

"And after that?" Steve turned his head.

"We'll figure out what to do about the shard in the volcano once we have Sekata back." Zoe continued.

"I can show you guys another way through town." Ace jumped to the XV-mon's side. "Grandpa would probably disapprove, but heck I'm in enough trouble already."

"No Ace, it's too dangerous." Zoe shook her head. "You're grandpa's very worried about…"

"Please!" Ace insisted. "Sekata saved my life! I want to…no, I need to do something to help him in return!"

"You guys should take him and go." Steve gestured. "After all, he's been through a dangerous bit and handled it pretty well already. Let me rest for a while and I'll catch up."

"You sure?" Aero asked with concern.

"It's like Janet said, we'll have to do this quickly, before they're on even higher alert."

"All right." Zoe clenched her fists. "Everyone with me?"

The unanimous responses of 'Yeah' arose from all round the room. One by one, the other members of the group filed out of the room. Soon, Steve was left by himself.

Grimacing against the pain, the Flamedramon got to his feet and walked over to the sofa. On it were the few remaining pieces of equipment from the volcano attempt…the coating fluid and the metallic rope.

From the descriptions of the others, Steve guessed that the shard wasn't really far in at all. He knew that the towns' people would soon start guarding the volcano, if they had not done so already. And that would only serve to further hamper their progress.

Plus, it seemed like Sekata wasn't willing to try again. That left the only other dragon amongst the group possessing a fire elemental form…himself.

With a determined look on his face, Steve changed into his Gargoylemon form and took off, beating his wings in the opposite direction. Carried by the moonlit winds, it wasn't long before he left the troubled town far behind.

* * *

_He's wrong…I'm not a quitter. _Sekata's semi-conscious mind told himself.

Physically, his body was still out cold. However, it was some inner part of his consciousness that enabled him to have this debate within his own mind.

_I always knew I was different from them somehow. Zoe, Steve, Janet…and now I know why._

_And I thought you were stronger than that. _Another voice rang out in his mind. This one wasn't his, but AncientGreymon's.

_Tell me AncientGreymon, have you known this about me all along? _Sekata asked.

Instantly, the scene changed. From complete darkness, it swirled and twisted to eventually become the spiritual graveyard. Although Sekata hadn't 'been' here in a while, the place hardly surprised him by now.

"Not when I first bonded with you." AncientGreymon trotted down the steps of the temple and walked along the tiled path to where Sekata stood. "Only when you obtained that form did I suspect something."

Sekata glanced down as his Dorugoramon claws and clenched them hard.

"So, that's why you were so upset about me evolving into this." He muttered.

"Upset is not the word I'd use to describe it." The ancient dragon hissed. "But not anyone could become a demon dragon like Dorugoramon. And when you were able to do so without killing yourself, I began to feel suspicious."

"When you mentioned my darkness…"

"Yes, the seed of CHAOS lies within you."

"Then, it was me all along. From the very beginning…" Sekata looked away, flexing his hand to catch a glance of his black colored D-Dragon. "And when Wisemon tried to use his magic to tap into my Digivice, that power reacted. It felt itself in close enough proximity to the actual CHAOS and revealed everything about itself."

"You're catching on quick." The ancient dragon said with a laugh.

"I just don't know what to do any more."

"You say that as if it were a question."

"I'd never stoop to that level!"

"If you do die however, the seed of CHAOS dies with you." AncientGreymon remarked as he walked slowly past Sekata.

The Dorugoramon neither tried to stop his long time tormentor nor said anything else as he disappeared into the mists of the graveyard.

* * *

**Day 4, Morning**

"Great, they've put guards at the air vent's entrance too?" Janet moaned, peeping out from around the corner.

"Can't say I didn't expect it." Zoe muttered. "Only thing is, what do we do about it now?"

Standing in the shadows of the adjacent building, the party of three watched the Silphymon and Holsmon guards lingering outside.

"Any other ways in Ace?" Aero queried.

"Not that I know of." The Betamon replied sadly. "I'm really sorry guys."

"Don't be." Janet patted his head.

"But it's not good." Zoe noted. "They're definitely ready for us now. We try anything and their guards will be swarming over us in seconds."

"You know, that might just work to our advantage." Janet suddenly grinned. "We'll go in through the way they'd least expect."

"Which is?"

"The front door."

Everyone else gagged and almost fainted at the Strikedramon's remark.

"Are you insane?" Aero blurted out. "You saw for yourself the number of guards at the entrance, plus your buddy Sealsdramon happens to be there too."

Janet only grinned further.

"I hope that he's a good sport at follow the leader."

"I hate it when you grin like that Jan." The Aero V-dramon sighed.

* * *

Sealsdramon leaned against the wall and yawned, taking occasional glances at his guards as he pondered the day's events.

_Just what the heck went on in there? At least they've got the Dorugoramon back in chains again, but…huh? Is that…_

The black dragon blinked. Strolling calmly and in plain sight down the street was Janet, the Strikedramon from before, making absolutely no attempt to be inconspicuous.

Several Rookie level Commandramon, the guards who were with him, looked on with curiosity. One or two turned towards him, awaiting some kind of orders. These Digimon were reptiles that looked much like an Agumon, except they were blue colored and outfitted with military uniforms, helmets and M16 rifles.

Gesturing for his squad to wait, Sealsdramon approached Janet, wondering what gave her the nerve to try a stunt like this in broad daylight.

"You know, you're wanted after your escape last night." He said in a commanding voice.

"I know." Janet replied.

"And I can have this entire squad here over you in a few seconds."

"So, why aren't you doing that soldier?"

"Since this situation does not concern you, I don't have a particular reason to detain you any further." Sealsdramon folded his arms. "I can just walk away and pretend I didn't see you, just as long as you leave and don't cause any more trouble."

"You'd do that for me?" Janet whistled, amused.

"I like your style girl." Sealsdramon returned the grin. "You know, under different circumstances, we just might've been good friends."

"Humph, you military types aren't down at my level."

"Hahaha, you remind me of myself when I was younger." Sealsdramon reared up to his full height, being about a head taller than Janet, and placed a claw on her shoulder. "Impulsive, reckless and hot-headed."

"You know what?" Janet leaned closer. "You still are!"

CRUNCH!

"Garrrrggghhh!" Sealsdramon's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he withdrew the hand Janet had sunk her fangs into. "Why you…GWARRGGHH!"

The soldier received a second surprise as Janet shot out with a low fist…right to his groin area.

"Arrrgghh! Hey…not below the belt…"

Giggles and snickers were emerging from the Commandramon troops, much to the black dragon's annoyance.

"You fools!" Sealsdramon moaned. "Don't just stand there!"

"Yo!" Janet had moved away, now with her back turned towards the group. The Strikedramon waved her tail about in a seductive manner, slapped a palm against her buttocks and stuck out her tongue. "Come and get me….if you can!"

"Grrr…after her!" Sealsdramon staggered to his feet. "Everyone! Get the reserves too!"

Janet took off down the street with the entire Commandramon squad in tow. Even more guards like Holsmon and additional Commandramon emerged from the door at Sealsdramon's orders and gave chase. The black dragon quickly followed, despite running with an 'odd step'.

However, as the whole group disappeared down the street, they left the front door hanging wide open…and completely unguarded.

"That was easier than I thought." Zoe emerged from around another corner in Paildramon form, carrying Ace in her arms. "But we'll still need to hurry."

"Yeah." Ace nodded.

After double checking that the corridor was clear, Zoe slipped inside and made her way down as quietly as she could.

* * *

_Right on time._ Aero thought, spotting Janet running along the alleyway below.

The blue dragon was positioned on a rooftop, with six barrels balanced on the ledge. They had been taken from an unlocked warehouse Ace pointed them to and contained a sticky, glue-like fluid. Janet was simply luring her pursuers into a trap where Aero would drop the barrel's contents on their heads.

_She's almost there. _Aero continued to watch when his Digivice suddenly beeped.

"Aero, it's me." Steve's voice came over the communicator.

"Hey, good to hear from you." Aero replied. "We're in the middle of pulling off a trap set for Sealsdramon and his goons, but we sure could use your help afterwards."

"Actually Aero, I left town a while ago." Steve spoke after a pause. "I'm at the volcano."

"The volcano? What the heck are you doing there?"

"I'm going in for the CHAOS shard."

"WHAT?"

"I've got all the leftover equipment, so don't worry." Steve assured. "Since Sekata isn't going to do it, I will. But I won't be long. Just hang tight and I'll be back with the shard soon."

"Steve! No Steve! It's too dangerous!" Aero cried. However, it was too late, for Steve had already shut off the communicator. "Steve? Steve!"

In panic, Aero lost track of his tail…allowing it to swing a little too much and knock all the barrels over.

"Uh-oh!" The blue dragon sweatdropped.

SPLAT!

"Garrgghh!" Screams emerged from below. All of Janet's, Sealsdramon's and the rest of the Digimon guards.

The barrels had found their mark, with the entire squad immobilized and stuck to the ground in the gum-like yellow fluid. Unfortunately, so were Janet and Sealsdramon, who were stuck back to back with their arms, legs and tails all in a tangled mess.

"Rarrggh! Aero! You were supposed to wait for my signal!" Janet screeched furiously, attempting to pull herself away from Sealsdramon. That only resulted in her being snapped back, slamming her body into that of her foe.

"Ugh…well this is amusing." Sealsdramon moaned sarcastically.

"It's Steve!" Aero shouted. "He's gone to the volcano alone!"

"The volcano?" Both Janet and Sealsdramon gasped at the same time.

* * *

"Ok…I can handle this." Steve told himself, glancing down into the crater.

He almost regretted making the journey out here alone. Steve had figured it couldn't have been too bad…but it was really, really **hot**. Even for him, Steve was already sweating by the time he'd finished securing the rope.

Either Zoe's and Aero's gauge of the surrounding temperature had been off, or the volcano's temperature had actually risen a significant amount since they'd been there. And Steve had a feeling that it was the latter, for that meant that the volcano would be erupting soon.

For a while, he considered going into his Wargreymon form first.

_No, Wargreymon X draws his power from earth and water. Neither of those two elements would help me here. _Steve shook his head. _Perhaps I was being stupid…_

It had been about 5 minutes since he'd contacted Aero, but now it felt like he'd been staring into the depths for ages.

_Yeah…maybe I really should go back for…huh? _

A faint purple glitter suddenly caught his eye. It was the CHAOS Shard, he was sure of it.

Trembling with excitement, Steve raised the canister of the coating fluid and sprayed it over himself. He'd helped Katsu in testing it out months before, but the fluid still felt so strange over his scales.

With the extra layer of coating, Steve stretched his limbs and made sure that his rope had been properly secured.

Then, the Flamedramon leapt into the abyss.

* * *

"Sekata!"

No one had been around to hinder their progress, allowing Zoe and Ace to reach their destination relatively quickly.

Zoe shoved the door open and spotted Sekata's limp form. There was no more water inside the shattered tank, but more restraints had been added to further immobilize the ferocious dragon.

Ace jumped out of Zoe's arms and nodded to her.

The Dorugoramon groaned as Zoe raced over and sliced part of the bindings off with her wrist-mounted blades.

"Zoe…no…" Sekata moaned softly. "Stay away from me…"

"Not this time!" Zoe growled, working downwards and finally releasing the chains holding his ankles and tail.

"Leave me…I deserve to remain…locked up like this…"

At that, Zoe drew back and slapped him hard.

"Tell me Sekata!" She yelled. "Why all this so suddenly? Why?"

"You don't…"

"I deserve to know! We all do!"

"I…"

"Sekata!" The look in her eyes was burning with rage. It was a side of herself that Zoe didn't often show, but her gaze was firm. She wanted the truth…no matter what.

"I am the one Zoe." Sekata finally replied. "The cause of all this."

"What do you mean?" Zoe queried.

"The legend…it never mentioned how many Chosen Warriors there were, right?"

"It's the four of us, isn't it?"

"No, it's the three of you."

"And yourself?"

"Zoe…" Sekata looked up. "I am not one of the Chosen Warriors. I'm the complete opposite…CHAOS' destined host…the Chaos Seed…"

Zoe stared in silence for a long time before she could get anything out of her jaws.

"No…" She muttered.

* * *

"Listen to me, remember when we conversed with Omegamon whilst returning to this world? He talked about sending his shades that chose us to fight this war." Sekata continued. "They were also supposed to find the shade that CHAOS created, but never did."

Almost trembling, Zoe nodded.

"That's because when the shade of Omegamon's was separating into several parts, the shade of CHAOS secretly fused itself with one of those parts. As you know, those four parts would eventually find us and become our Digivices."

"It…doesn't make any sense…"

"The infected portion was supposedly split off and destroyed. However, it managed to hide itself as it went off course…and found me." Sekata shook his head. "It explains a lot, mainly why I was thrust into the Digital World months before you guys, even though we all received the Digivices at approximately the same time on Earth realm."

"But there are different time zones for Earth realm."

"I don't think the Digital World works that way."

"Then, we should've noticed something." Zoe muttered.

"No, that was the CHAOS shade's whole point of fusing with Omegamon's. It produced a similar-looking avatar that gave me the Digivice, and allowed my Digivice to function exactly as one of yours. However, the infection was there, buried deep within…."

"Sekata…" Zoe turned away for a moment, and then suddenly hit him again. "You idiot! That doesn't automatically make you evil! You've showed it in everything we've been through….laughter, pain, joy, sorrow! That's what makes you who you are!"

The Dorugoramon rubbed the side of his snout to find it bleeding slightly.

"You're one of us…" Zoe began sobbing, which looked strange coming from a large Paildramon. "That's who you are! You're the person I l…"

HISS! BEEP! A voice abruptly came over the communicator of Zoe's D-Dragon.

"It's me." Aero called. "Major problem! Steve's gone to the volcano to try for the CHAOS shard by himself! He's not responding to any calls now!"

"No!" Sekata gasped. "He couldn't have been that stupid!"

"What did you say to him earlier?" Zoe asked hastily.

"I…I…no! NO!" The Dragon Morph's leader pounded on the wall. "After I…Steve…he must've thought I wasn't willing to…"

"To what?"

"Hey guys!" Ace suddenly yelled, dashing away from the closed door. "Someone's coming!"

Seconds later, the entire door was blow apart as Sleipmon stepped through. The centaur readied his crossbow as he eyed Sekata and Zoe.

"Step aside." He directed his command towards Zoe. "You don't understand what powers lie within your friend."

The word 'friend' was spoken with much scorn, and that only served to further enrage Zoe.

"I do know now." She growled. "I've found out everything…"

"Then you should know that he will be the cause of a great catastrophe." Sleipmon gestured. "The darkness within his heart is far too great."

"No, I refuse to believe that!" Zoe snapped. "Even if it does exist, it does so alongside the light! Sekata couldn't have brought us this far without that light in his heart!"

"Zoe…" Sekata muttered, staggering weakly to his feet.

"You're being naïve there girl. His fate has already been sealed!"

"I don't believe that either! Not if me, or the others have anything to do with it! We've fought through everything together…and nothing's going to stop us from doing the same now!"

"Seems that I'm wasting my breath trying to change your mind…" Sleipmon remarked angrily.

"Watch out!" Sekata warned.

* * *

BOOM! The entire world seemed to shake as another explosion sounded.

_Shit! Shit! Shit! _Steve cursed mentally. The fire dragon was desperately trying to shield himself from the shower of rocks, but to no avail.

Realizing that his precarious perch on the wall wasn't the best spot, Steve moved himself onto a nearby ledge and crouched there until the rumbling had stopped.

_Whew…_He panted. _That was more intense than the last one. I see why Sekata had so many problems now. _

The shaking was growing more constant and more violent as the impending eruption drew nearer and nearer.

_I'd better go back. _Steve decided. _Then we could figure out another… _

A deafening explosion suddenly threw the blue dragon off his feet. It had been so close that the force was enough to send him rolling over the ledge. And just as well too, for the next instant a huge chunk of rock fell and slammed onto his ledge.

Whilst Steve was well clear of being hit, the rock pinned his safety harness to the ledge. That resulted in his fall being snapped to an abrupt halt, leaving him dangling like a yo-yo.

_Aw crap! _The morph fumbled with his rope, but it was hopelessly stuck. Not only that, for a second blast sent yet another rock hurling towards his position.

In panic, Steve did the only thing he could. The Flamedramon mashed the switch and released the rope from his body. Spinning into a headlong freefall, Steve watched as the entire 'cliff' was smashed apart.

Unfortunately, that was the least of his worries.

The wind was suddenly knocked out of him as the fire dragon slammed face-first into the 'ground'. Even in his dazed state, Steve was able to make out the glittering purple crystal nearby. Mustering whatever strength he had left in his aching body, Steve stumbled over and grabbed the CHAOS Shard.

Pain and exhaustion were beginning to take over as Steve was hurled away by yet another explosion. And without the rope, it would be very difficult for him to get out.

Desperately, the Flamedramon activated his D-Dragon's screen and typed out a frantic distress message. That was just before he ended up buried under a miniature avalanche of lava rocks.

* * *

However, Zoe was already ahead of him, whipping up the pair of blaster cannons mounted at her waist-level.

"Desperado Blaster!"

With remarkable dexterity, Sleipmon rolled to the side as the blue energy bolts sailed past his body, blowing part of the wall out.

"Bifrost!" The centaur stomped on the ground, sending a wave of ice racing across the floor.

Sekata and Zoe were forced to dodge as huge spikes of ice emerged from the wave, narrowly missing both of them. Sleipmon wasted no time in firing an arrow into the ice, shattering it and sending dozens of sharp ice spikes flying everywhere.

The two dragons roared in pain as the spikes pierced the un-armored parts of their bodies. Zoe quickly shook the pain off and spread her wings, making a dash towards her foe.

"Esgrima!" The two blades at her wrists emerged as they met Sleipmon's crossbow.

Grunting, the centaur was forced to guard against Zoe's repeated slashes. She then tried a different tactic, whipping the lower part of his body with her tail and kicking Sleipmon's face while he was stunned. It seemed to work as the centaur went down, losing his weapon at the same time.

However, Sleipmon still had some tricks up his sleeve.

"Odin's Breath!" The centaur knight raised his arms, channeling up a miniature tornado.

"Desperado Blaster!" Zoe brought up her guns as well.

Sleipmon's wind-based attack had been aimed at Zoe's feet, resulting in a small explosion that sent her stumbling onto her back. The Desperado Blaster shots went wide, shooting large pieces of concrete off the ceiling.

Ace screamed as some of the pieces fell towards his hiding spot.

"NO!" Zoe half ran, half crawled and threw herself across the room, grabbing Ace and using her body to shield him.

Sekata was too far away to do anything but watch as the dust cleared. Zoe was covered by the broken stone chunks, with Ace held protectively in her arms. The Paildramon didn't seem to be too badly hurt, but it was enough to drive Sekata into a mad rage.

"RROOAAARRR!"

Sleipmon barely had time to get back to his feet before Sekata attacked, leaving a long series of claw marks across his arm. With a furious yell, the centaur kicked using his front legs, knocking the breath out of Sekata.

The dragon stumbled, and received a punch to the lower jaw for that. Sleipmon tried to follow up with another punch, but Sekata spun to the side and grabbed his wrist, twisting hard.

"Garrrgghh!" Despite the pain, Sleipmon was a massively strong Digimon, who fought against the flow with all his might and succeeded in hurling Sekata against the wall.

BAM! Sekata's injured left wrist took a hard smack. And the pain distracted the screeching Dorugoramon long enough for Sleipmon to gain the upper hand. A swift barrage of punches followed, leaving Sekata's jaws sore and bleeding.

His opponent finished up by throwing his entire body weight into Sekata's, cracking a couple of the latter's ribs in the process. With his vision already blurred, Sekata launched an off-centered kick that Sleipmon easily dodged.

Grinning, the centaur brought both his fists against Sekata's left ankle joint from two different directions. The crack was barely audible to everyone except Sekata, who quite obviously felt the pain of his ankle being broken. Clutching the leg in agony, Sekata fell back against the floor and couldn't bring himself to get up.

Sleipmon immediately went for his dropped crossbow and pointed it straight at Sekata's head.

"It's over!" Sleipmon yelled.

"No! Leave him alone!" Ace suddenly scampered over and stood in front of Sekata.

"Move away child!" Sleipmon ordered, clutching the weapon even more tightly.

"Get out of here!" Sekata pleaded.

"Ace…no…" Zoe moaned, still stunned from the falling rubble.

"Sekata is my friend! I won't let you shoot him like this!" Ace yelled firmly.

"I said, move away!" Sleipmon's patience was wearing down. "I'll fire, whether you're in the way or not!"

"Then go ahead!" Ace screamed. "You'll have to shoot me too!"

_The kid's trembling. _Sleipmon thought. _He doesn't have the guts. One shot and he'll go running. _

"Fine, have it your way!" The centaur let his arrow fly.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he'd expected. Ace stood his ground and closed his eyes. Sleipmon gasped in shock upon realizing that the child wasn't going to move, but could do nothing to stop the attack now.

But there was someone who did.

* * *

"NO!" Sekata threw himself forward and knocked Ace aside.

In doing so, he took the arrow straight to the left side of his chest and went down with a long, painful wail.

"Sekata!" Zoe and Ace cried in horror.

Sleipmon's crossbow fell from his hands and clattered noisily to the floor. The centaur then dropped to his knees, realizing that he'd almost killed an innocent child. But it had been his intended target, who'd most willingly thrown his life away to save the child.

_But why…_

Zoe had pulled herself free by this time and was kneeling over Sekata's limp form, together with Ace. The Dorugoramon's blood was in a small pool on the floor by now, as well as on the arrow that they'd pulled out.

_I got him in the heart… _Sleipmon thought. _He'll be dead within seconds…if he isn't already. _

"Sekata! Sekata!" Zoe was screaming.

Ace was already sobbing loudly.

"Hey…" Sekata muttered weakly. "Don't…count me out…yet…"

"But you're…" Zoe let the sentence trail off, glancing down towards Sekata's wound.

"No, I…don't think so…" The Dorugoramon reached beneath his armor and lifted out…the silver chained pendant with Turquoise gem attached.

Although the pendant was covered with blood, it was the gem that gave everything away. Only a small part of the Turquoise had been chipped away…the part that Sleipmon's arrow had struck.

"The arrow…did it…"

"Haha, this little thing saved my life." Sekata managed a soft laugh.

Indeed, the arrow pierced through Sekata's armor and struck the pendant. Although the force had pushed the pendant into his flesh, the gemstone had prevented the arrow from striking a fatal blow.

"I'm go glad…" Zoe's despair quickly vanished.

"Thank you…" Was all Ace could get off in the midst of his sobbing.

"What have I done?" Sleipmon shook his head.

"You did what you felt was right." Another voice sounded from outside the room. "But it seems that fate would have things done differently."

"Wisemon!" Sleipmon gasped as the robed humanoid staggered into the room. "You're up!"

The sage had been unconscious since the previous day when he'd tried to tap into the powers of Sekata's D-Dragon, with disastrous results.

"You…" Sekata looked up.

"I'm not here to fight." Wisemon gestured. "Not any more."

"Then…"

"I realize now you have a greater destiny at hand, one that none of us can control." The sage continued. "None of us, except for yourself."

"So, you'll let us go?" Zoe queried.

"Indeed, and we will no longer seek to pursue you." Wisemon assured. "However, I fear that there are other matters beyond…"

"Guys!" Aero, red-faced and completely out of breath, abruptly burst into the room. Upon seeing Wisemon and Sleipmon, the Aero V-dramon hesitated.

"It's all right. We've come to a truce." Zoe informed him.

"Great, because we've got a bigger problem!" Aero panted. "It's about Steve…and his attempt at the volcano!"

* * *

"He's in trouble, isn't he?" Sekata pulled himself to his feet, grimacing against the pain.

"Yes…" Aero nodded. "His last message implied that. And I haven't been able to reach him since."

"The volcano…" Sleipmon muttered. "It should be due to erupt very soon. Possibly within the hour."

"I've got to go!" Sekata declared.

"You can't!" Zoe gasped. "You're too badly injured!"

"I have to!" Sekata growled. "It's all my fault he's jumped down there like that! All because I made it seem like I wasn't willing to try again for myself! I was so stupid! I've got to…rrarrgghh…"

With his strength drained, Sekata dropped down to a knee and had to be supported by Zoe.

"Where's Janet?" Zoe turned towards Aero.

"Erm, in a bit of a sticky situation." Aero said nervously. "She's fine, but she's not going to be able to help us for now."

"I will attempt to assist you then." Wisemon looked up. "But I shall require the help of everyone here."

"How so?" Sekata asked.

"An energy transfer spell." The robed figure replied. "I will use it to channel the energy from everyone else into you."

"Can we really trust you?" Aero shot Wisemon a glance.

"I feel we can." Sekata nodded. "I can see it in him, and it's also the best chance we have of getting to Steve in time."

"All right, everybody please gather in a circle around him." Wisemon instructed.

Zoe, Aero, Ace and Wisemon quickly moved into position. Sleipmon hesitated initially, but soon got to his feet and trotted over.

"Allow me to lend you my strength as well." The centaur joined the circle. "To make up for what I've done."

"Thanks everyone…" Sekata breathed.

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate." Wisemon continued. "Focus and allow your companion to borrow a part of your strength. Your hearts must be willing in order for this to work…"

Nothing seemed to happen at first. But slowly, the bodies of all the Digimon present began to glow with golden energy. One by one, those formed into beams that hovered in the air for a while.

Then, they shot forward, touching Sekata's body with a warm radiance.

Sekata gasped and wheezed as he felt his strength returning. His injuries were healing themselves, taking mere seconds where they would've normally taken weeks.

"RRROOAAAARRRRR!" Sekata sprang to his feet, letting off a thunderous roar in the process.

While not at full strength, the feeling of energy within his battered body made all the difference. All around, Aero, Ace, Sleipmon and Wisemon lay unconscious. They'd passed out at the end of the energy transfer process, but were all breathing steadily. It wouldn't take too long for them to recover.

"Sekata…" Zoe muttered weakly.

"Just rest Zoe." Sekata knelt by her side and gripped the Paildramon's claw. "Leave this to me. I'll be back soon."

"Promise me…" She looked up, barely conscious.

"I can't…make promises I can't keep Zoe." Sekata whispered. "Just remember…everything I've told you."

"Sekata…" Zoe's head fell and she lay still.

The Dorugoramon paused to stroke her head, feeling the warmth of her body and squeezed her hand tightly. Then, he sprang up and grabbed the Ryuukonken from the spot in the corner, where it had been since he was first captured.

"Wait…" Wisemon was on his feet, supporting his unsteady body against the wall. "This is yours…"

Sekata's D-Dragon clattered by his feet.

"Thanks." The dragon Digimon nodded.

"Two great forces are at work within you, both vying for the upper hand." Wisemon managed. "Both can bring about great darkness and destruction. Both can easily result in your death…but one still has the potential for good."

Sekata was stunned for a while, amazed at the fact that Wisemon had been able to learn that much form tapping into his D-Dragon just once.

"Which one?" He asked, realizing that he could not longer hide something he'd kept from everyone else in his current life.

"That I do not know. You must figure that answer out for yourself."

With that, Sekata dashed out of the room, spreading his wings once he was outside. Kicking off the ground, the Dorugoramon's wings caught a gust of wind that carried him up into the sky.

And off towards the volcano…towards his destiny. And towards the position he now stood in.

* * *

**Present**

_So many things…I would've done differently. _The thought came into Sekata's mind, jumbled together will all the rest. _But it's too late…too late now…_

"Hyper…Spirit…EVOLUTION!"

It was a familiar change, one that would transform him into his Kaiser Greymon form. Flames emerged from his own body, batting away those of the volcano.

The pain of the magma started to fade away, replaced by the temporary adrenaline rush of evolution. Weariness too was affected by the new energy, shooting him faster and further than before.

However, on the screen of his D-Dragon, another change was taking place. The percentage counter ticked up…and onto the 100 percent mark.

_You've done well kid. _The voice of AncientGreymon sounded. _Very well indeed…_


	53. Showdown of Fate

_Digimon_ _/ Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Showdown of Fate**

By nightdragon0

_He's there!_

In his Kaiser Greymon form, there seemed like little could be done to stop him. Glowing with the flames of his evolution, Sekata spun in mid-fall and landed on his feet, smashing a small crater in the ground.

This was in fact possibly the lowest point of the volcano that one could descend into.

But even as Sekata spotted his friend in distress, a new pain was growing within. It was hard to describe, like a combination of dizziness in his head, jabbing pain in his ribs and aching all over his body. He'd never experienced anything like it before.

_No…can't let him…take over yet! Got to get Steve…out of…here!_

Forcing his body forward, the armored dragon charged, smashing rocks and boulders out of his way. Steve's limp form was half-buried under a pile of rubble, with a purple crystal clutched tightly in the Flamedramon's claws.

Steve had sprayed the coating fluid over himself, a decision that had probably kept him alive until this point. However, Sekata neither had that same this protection, nor the seconds to waste.

Working his muscles furiously, Sekata pushed the rocks away and dragged Steve out, lifting the wounded dragon onto his shoulder. Steve's eyes flickered open for a moment and his jaws moved as if in a moan. But Sekata didn't have time to think about anything else as he pushed off the ground, shooting upwards amidst a sudden spray of magma.

That was pretty much the last thing he remembered clearly.

He could roughly recall emerging from the blazing crater and dumping Steve's body on an adjacent cliff. But Sekata was not even able to check on his friend's condition or keep track of the CHAOS shard's.

Some unholy force was driving his body to move against his will. In seconds, the Spirit Warrior was in the air again, this time flying wildly out of control.

Pain was now coming from everywhere at once, so much that Sekata didn't even try to figure it out. All he could do was roar out loudly and allow his body to keep moving.

Suddenly, a massive wall of stone was in front of his face. Sekata could only close his eyes as he smashed through. However, there was in fact a hidden cavern built into the mountain. AncientGreymon's power must've been leading him here and now threw the morph roughly against the ground.

Feeling an abrupt burst of heat on his back, the Kaiser Greymon fumbled and drew his Ryuukonken blade. The blaze continued to grow stronger, soon becoming too hot for him to hold.

Sekata tossed the blade aside and dropped to his knees, howling in pain. It felt as if something were trying to tear its way out of his body. And something was, for the next instant a claw literally burst out of his hand.

And it was a familiar one….belonging to AncientGreymon.

* * *

"Steve! Wake up!"

"Steve!"

"Come on! Get up man!"

"Ugh…" Steve uttered a soft moan.

_I don't think I'm dead. Yeah, everything still feels so painful…_

"Looks like he's responding!" That voice was more recognizable as Aero's by now.

"Get up you idiot!" Janet started shaking his shoulders. "Moron! What did you think you were doing?"

_Yup, I'm definitely alive. But I'm so exhausted…maybe I'll just lie down for a while more…_

"He won't be getting up if you kill him!" Zoe exclaimed.

"Think he needs mouth to mouth?" Janet gasped.

_WHAT?_

"Yeah, maybe I should…" Janet panted.

"Garrgghh!" Steve sprang into a sitting position, smacking his head into Janet's.

Since her head was armored and his was not, it made quite a difference on impact.

"OW! OW! OW!" Steve groaned. "I was fine dammit! You don't give somebody mouth to mouth unless he's not breathing!"

"Well, how would I remember?" Janet snapped.

"It's basic first aid!"

"Guys, you can discuss this later." Aero cut in. "Steve, did Sekata get you out of the volcano? Where is he now?"

"Sekata?" Steve blinked. "Yeah…I was pretty much dying, and then he came. But he's…hey…"

The Flamedramon glanced around the area, taking in his new surroundings all at once. He was suddenly out in the open, feeling the breeze and squinting in the sunlight. A big change from the dim, fiery volcanic crater he remembered passing out in.

Everyone else was back to their basic forms, namely XV-mon, Strikedramon and Aero V-dramon.

"You don't know where he went?" Zoe asked with concern.

"No, I'm sorry." Steve shook his head.

It didn't take a psychic to realize that something was very wrong. The group's atmosphere was very downcast and tense.

Steve opened his palm to find the purple colored crystal shard still clutched tightly within. Their whole purpose of coming here had been to find that CHAOS Shard, but now hardly anyone seemed to care. Not without Sekata around.

"Did you guys find me by tracking my D-Dragon?" Steve raised his query. "Couldn't we do that to find Sekata too?"

"We are, but his signal is suddenly all scrambled up." Aero replied. "He seems to be within this area, just that we can't figure out where."

"Sekata…" Zoe closed her eyes and shook her head. "Where are you? Why?"

An awkward moment of silence fell upon the party before Steve waved his claws.

"Erm…I've missed a lot, haven't I?"

* * *

"RRRRAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!" Sekata's scream echoed throughout the mountainside.

The surrounding armor crumbled and scales were torn apart as more and more of AncientGreymon's claw emerged. Sekata quickly lost all feeling in that right arm as the flesh broke, revealing the armored shoulder of AncientGreymon as well.

His Kaiser Greymon form possessed neither wings nor a tail, but Sekata felt those parts suddenly ripping out of his back, tossing bits of armor away. His right leg felt numb too and the agonized dragon could not bear to watch.

However, even with his eyes closed, Sekata could still hear the snapping of his armor and the sickening ripping of his scales and flesh. That, in addition to the amount of blood and the terrible pain, it was a wonder he was still conscious.

_What's going on? What's happening to me? _Sekata's mind howled.

Sekata could barely imagine how he looked at the moment. A deformed, ragged, half-torn dragon crawling in a pool of blood. Desperately, he tried to ignore the disgusting splitting noises and think.

Even amid what was happening to him, the first thing Sekata's mind went to was trying to come up with an explanation.

_Was this what you meant? _Flashes of all his pervious conversations with AncientGreymon ran through his head. _You've had the ability to wrestle control of my body from the start. You had your golden opportunity to take control of it while I was completely helpless…_

The dragon was now rolling in agony. He wanted to fight….wanted to resist…but just didn't know how. Then, Sekata felt the scales on his upper back splitting apart. Something new was rising out of his back, and moving much more.

A hot breath at the rear of his neck sent Sekata's level of terror to new heights. It reminded him of the old movie, ALIEN, where the creature would burst out of its host's chest.

He finally understood, although this was much worse than he'd imagined.

_So that's what the percentage counter was for. Every time I used Kaiser Greymon's power…I was in fact altering myself, changing my own Digital DNA…into yours!_

The two Spirit artifacts Sekata had been utilizing all this time had been created from the spirit of AncientGreymon. However, part of the ancient dragon's consciousness had remained within, plotting all this time.

Planning for his rebirth.

AncientGreymon's front right leg had fully formed, ripping the tattered remains of Sekata's right arm away. The new limb moved, though not on Sekata's will, and stroked the back of Sekata's head in a mocking gesture.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" AncientGreymon's voice rang out.

The mostly formed head was the thing that had ripped out of his back earlier. Now, it was able to move and leaned close to Sekata's own head, so that AncientGreymon could whisper into his ear.

"Just like a snake shedding its skin." The ancient warrior continued. "Except that I'm the snake and you're just the skin. To be discarded and forgotten once it has served its purpose.

That was a chillingly accurate comparison, although Sekata realized that he would remain perfectly alive and conscious until the very last second of torment. The moment that AncientGreymon would completely burst out of his tattered body.

"You should stop struggling." AncientGreymon taunted. "Accept your fate and this'll all be over soon.

_Fate…this is my…no…no…not yet!_

"What the?" AncientGreymon gasped as a bright glow emitted from the remains of Sekata's body.

* * *

"I can't get a good reading guys." Janet voiced into her D-Dragon's communicator. "Sekata's signal is still scrambled."

"We're not having much luck from up here either." Aero responded. "This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

"Come on, where are you Sekata?" Zoe mumbled frantically.

The pair of blue dragons were hovering in the sky and searching from there, while Janet and Steve continued to try and trace Sekata's signal. All of them however, had made it a point to keep clear of the volcano Akchenedash.

Its eruption had gone underway, spewing out hordes of lava and black smoke. The burning scent of ash was filling the air, which seemed to sting the senses of the group. The occasional rumblings and explosions were also serving to startle the party, further distracting them from their search.

Steve cringed just by looking at the erupting volcano, thinking of how he could've been in there, burning to a crisp if Sekata hadn't come along to save him. He felt bad for the argument he'd had with Sekata that led him to attempting the volcano descent on his own. Steve wanted to apologize so badly at the moment.

And the Flamedramon felt even worse for not taking note of which direction Sekata had gone flying off in. While he was still holding on to the CHAOS shard, it was all but forgotten now that Sekata had gone missing.

Zoe seemed particularly frantic about finding Sekata. According to Aero, she'd apparently had a long conversation with Sekata that the XV-mon had yet to discuss with anyone else.

"Hey, look guys!" Aero gestured, pointing down the mountain path.

Standing below on the trail was Sealsdramon, waving to get their attention.

"Great, him." Janet muttered unenthusiastically. It hadn't been too long since their two groups had been fighting, and Janet was still rather sore over having a barrel of glue accidentally dumped over Sealsdramon and herself.

"We should see what he wants." Aero suggested, landing on the pathway.

"Thought that I might find you here." The army dragon panted. "These fellows came to town looking for you. It seems as if they've known you for quite some time."

Then, a pink armored knight and a cybernetic wolf stepped out of the shadows, causing Zoe and the others to jump.

"YOU!"

"Wait please!" Junon raised her arms. "We're not here to fight this time!"

Nevertheless, there were still four sets of claws pointed at the Rhodo Knightmon face. Metallix glanced around, hesitant to do anything, until he was silenced by a wave from Junon.

"Well, what do you want?" Aero hissed. "Start talking!"

"The Royal Knights wish to discuss…." Junon removed her helmet and placed it on the ground. "The terms of our surrender."

* * *

"Hell…what the blazes was that?" AncientGreymon's scream echoed throughout the cavern.

It was a long while before Sekata was able to see again. But in an instant, the dragon realized that he was able to feel his whole body again and sprang to his feet.

Sekata was now back to his Vritramon form, the one he'd spent most of his time in. Though smaller than Kaiser Greymon, Vritramon was a red armored dragon with a silver helmet and a set of three Greymon style horns.

The wings were the color of fire and feathered as opposed to having a leather wing webbing. Sekata clicked the three fingers on each of his claws and talons, whipping his tail about. A single laser blaster was attached to each forearm, which Sekata mentally brought forward and into their ready position.

AncientGreymon stood towering over him…exactly as Sekata remembered him to appear.

A four legged dragon with the same red armor and silver helmet. Almost every feature from the wings, to the tail and the claw structure was exactly the same as Vritramon's.

Or perhaps, it was Vritramon who took the resemblance from AncientGreymon.

"You fool!" AncientGreymon screamed. "What did you just do?"

"Since our D-DNA structures have been made practically identical, I figured that I could do what you were." Sekata replied.

"That's impossible!"

"No, because I realized that you're formed from the Human and Beast Spirits of Fire combined. And when we formed our bond, you transferred those spirits into me." The Vritramon gestured towards his chest. "That was what you were doing just now. Once our D-DNA had become compatible enough, you were simply repossessing the spirits."

"Grrr…your Kaiser Greymon form is also created from a combination of the two spirits." AncientGreymon snarled. "That's the reason why you were feeling the effect so drastically."

"However, you had to repossess the spirits one at a time." Sekata continued. "So I just channeled my remaining energy and took control of the Spirit that you weren't working on."

"And how did you figure that out?"

"Something about the manner in which you first gave the two spirits to me. You made it a point to let me have them one after the other, with a period of time in-between."

AncientGreymon's anger had suddenly changed to a sense of amusement as he let off a low chuckle.

"You managed to figure that out in the few seconds I was ripping you apart? I'm very impressed kid." The ancient dragon smirked. "You surprise me yet again."

"Then, this is what you wanted, wasn't it?" Sekata asked. "To live again…in your own body."

"I've more than desired it for so long." AncientGreymon mused. "To transcend that world of death. To feel the breeze, breathe the air in through my lungs again."

With a front claw, AncientGreymon scooped up a fistful of dirt.

"To feel real things again. To live the life I was denied so long ago!"

"That's what you've gained, haven't you?" Sekata cried. "So, why keep pursuing this battle? Why keep pursuing me?"

"Fool! Without the full powers of both spirits, I'll never be complete! I'll lack the strength of my absolute best potential!"

"Is that power…so important to you?" Sekata felt a pang of weakness and dropped to his knees.

"You're nothing without the power to completely crush your enemies!" AncientGreymon yelled. "I was weak once! I never want to have that feeling again!"

"This is a different time from the one you were last in! Years have passed! You just wanted a chance to live life, didn't you?"

"All that is insignificant. If you're not powerful enough, you'll just live life in fear of those stronger than yourself." AncientGreymon snorted. "That's as good as not living at all…"

"You…" Sekata muttered in disbelief.

"You must've felt that I have absorbed much more of the Spirits' power than you. The balance is off, in fact at least three quarters in my favor."

"I figured that out already." Sekata nodded.

"Then, it is my turn to ask why. It must be blatantly obvious that you have no chance against me."

The Vritramon straightened up as much as his drained body could manage.

"Like you, I want to live." Sekata declared. "I'll take any chance. Even with the odds stacked against me…even if it would prolong my life by but a few seconds."

"Humph, futile attempts. You definitely desired power as well."

"I did before." Sekata admitted. "But right now, I've seen things in a new light. The truly important thing is life itself. That joy alone far exceeds anything that power could give me."

"And the person who's taught me that." Sekata glared into AncientGreymon's eyes. "Is you…"

* * *

"RRRAAAOOORRRRR!" Without any warning, the ancient dragon lunged.

Sekata received a hard blow and was brutally slammed into the stone wall, leaving the impression of his body in it. The younger dragon had barely enough time to peel himself off before AncientGreymon lashed out with a claw.

Jerking his head to the side, the blow missed by a hair. Sekata felt the thump as AncientGreymon's claw smashed a hole in the stone wall. However, that left the ancient dragon open for a counterattack, an opportunity which Sekata gladly took.

His first strike was sending his knee into AncientGreymon's chin, stunning the larger beast for a second. That was all the distraction Sekata needed to unleash a fury of punches into his tormentor's face.

AncientGreymon howled in rage. All of a sudden, the fire-elemental lowered his armored head and rammed into Sekata's stomach. The latter skidded backwards, bracing himself against the wall.

"Grrr…" AncientGreymon spat out a mouthful of blood, together with a couple of broken fangs. "This…this is…."

"Welcome back to the world of the living." Sekata hissed. "You can feel pain now…just like I do…"

"You forget who is the superior here!" AncientGreymon spun around, sending his heavy tail swinging like a massive tree.

Sekata leapt over the initial attack and dodge-rolled beneath the second. He made it a point to roll towards his foe, and pushed off the ground with his target in range. Despite Sekata's efforts, AncientGreymon was swift, bringing up a paw and shoving Sekata away.

The Vritramon bounded off a wall and came right back, firing his arm-mounted laser blasters. AncientGreymon was forced to duck and cover his head amid the barrage, allowing Sekata to swoop over and stab at his opponent's shoulder armor. Roaring more out of anger than anything else, AncientGreymon retaliated with his tail, smacking Sekata aside.

However, AncientGreymon found his own blood trickling down the affected right shoulder. Sekata was rising too, with many parts of his Vritramon armor looked battered and cracked.

"We don't have to keep fighting like this." Sekata pleaded. "Once, you too were a warrior who fought for the better good of the Digital World! Can't you do so just once more?"

"That's no longer my concern." AncientGreymon growled. "I've already done my part. I'm through with it."

"The point is, will you just turn your back when you know you can make a difference? That's the reason I'm fighting! Life is important indeed, but can you truly live life as you say having walked away?" Sekata clenched his fists. "What do you really want out of this new life you've given yourself? Are you able to tell me?"

"Shut up! Gaia Tornado!"

AncientGreymon unleashed a tornado of flames and caught Sekata up in its midst, twirling him back and forth violently.

"Corona Blaster!" Sekata fired his arm blasters, but at the ground instead of his opponent.

The result sent dozens of sharp rock pieces flying into AncientGreymon's body. The quadruped dragon reared back, startled by the sudden reprisal. The force of the shots pushed Sekata up and out of the fiery tornado, giving him a clear view. And it was the Vritramon's turn to strike.

"Flame Storm!" His body alit with flames, Sekata slammed into AncientGreymon and rammed him to the ground.

AncientGreymon quickly got back to his feet, although his armor was looking no better than Sekata's at the moment. The attack had taken a lot out of Sekata too, and the dragon dropped to his knees, panting in exhaustion.

"You've improved greatly." AncientGreymon hissed. "But can you withstand this? Omega Burst!"

AncientGreymon was equipped with the same set of blasters Vritramon had on his arms, although the former's was located on his shoulders instead. The twin weapons, known as Rudri Tarpanas, clicked forward and unleashed a barrage of superheated energy bolts towards Sekata.

Somehow, Sekata still found the strength in his battered body to move. However the Rudri Tarpanas could work independently of each other, firing in different directions simultaneously.

As a result, one blew out the ceiling and sent rocks showering into Sekata's face, knocking him out of the air. The other was already firing at the spot he hit the ground.

The Vritramon howled in agony as the fiery bolts tore into his body. Neither his armor nor his fire-resistant scales were of much help. Metallic plates were charred and blow off, exposing the scales of his body beneath.

And those quickly began bleeding from the constant barrage. Sekata could do nothing but roll over and scream as his blood splattered against the walls. His attacker was advancing slowly whilst maintaining his assault of fire.

Somehow, Sekata managed to pull himself onto his knees. His claws clenched hard, crunching up the bits of rock that got into his palms. Trying to get some shots from his own blasters seemed futile….even moving his arms was an impossibility.

Yet, Sekata forced himself to look up. Stare his tormentor in the eye. AncientGreymon seem entirely unfrazzled, calmly keeping up his assault.

_I don't want to lose here! I just can't! _Sekata's eyes fell close.

Then, his own Rudri Tarpanas reacted. The two main pieces slid apart, becoming more of a fork or U-shaped weapon with a metallic 'grill' located within. AncientGreymon gasped as he saw this, but there was no time to break off from his attack.

"Brahma Sutra!" With a sudden burst of energy, Sekata swung both his arms.

What shot out this time was not small, piercing lasers, but instead what could be described as miniature meteorites. The new attack broke through AncientGreymon's, pounding the Legendary Warrior's body again and again, until it was bleeding as much as Sekata's.

It was now AncientGreymon's turn to screech in pain, although Sekata couldn't keep up the attack for long. Still, it was enough to leave AncientGreymon collapsing, battered, bloody and bruised.

_That was… _Sekata realized. _Ardhamon's_ _(Aldamon's) attack!_

He knew Ardhamon was another form along his evolution line, formed from the Double Spirit Evolution using both the Human and Beast Spirits of Fire. But Sekata realized that he had just tapped into that power, and executed the attack without even having evolving into that form.

"Grrr…you managed to….use the Human Spirit's power too?" AncientGreymon voiced Sekata's thoughts as the larger dragon staggered to his feet. "Impossible, you're drawing the energy from both Spirits as well!"

"You've forced me into this." The exhausted Vritramon panted, raising his arms. "And I will not lose to you!"

"RRRROOOAAAARRR!" AncientGreymon broke into a salvage cry, charging forward with all the energy he had left.

"Brahma Shil!" Sekata's fiery wings spread as he charged up a second attack that normally belonged to Ardhamon.

AncientGreymon simply kept running forward as a huge ball of energy formed between Sekata's claws. Much like a Wargreymon's Gaia Force ability, Sekata raised the energy orb above his head and prepared to strike.

_AncientGreymon's_ _let his temper get the better of him! _Sekata thought. _I've won! _

"GOT YOU!" The Vritramon cried triumphantly.

However, it still took a second for him to throw the energy orb. And that second was all AncientGreymon required. Much too late, Sekata realized the Ryuukonken, discarded during the earlier stages of the battle, was right by his feet.

In a single motion, AncientGreymon scooped up the blade, stabbing it straight through the Vritramon's stomach. Sekata was in so much pain already that he barely felt the sickening crunch of the weapon piercing through his spine and bursting out from his back.

AncientGreymon's eyes narrowed as he grasped the hilt with both front claws.

"Enryuugeki!" (Flame Dragon Attack!)

* * *

It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Metallix or Zoe's party.

"Hey, what are you…" Metallix began.

"Let me finish talking." Junon interrupted. "As I was saying, I have only one condition to ask in return. That is for your help to rescue Lord Lucifer."

"What?" Janet stared. "I find that hard to believe."

"I shall explain everything then." Junon closed her eyes. "Lord Lucifer was descended from a long line of warlocks, overlords and sorcerers. Many of whom turned to the dark arts and brought about much death and destruction in the past. However, Lord Lucifer was different. It was his desire to break out of this dark heritage."

"That's why he resurrected the Royal Knights, you know?" Metallix chipped in, obviously trying to prove that he did know something.

"You never felt that it was an odd choice?" Junon asked.

"Hmm, well…" Aero folded his arms. "I've read that the original Royal Knights drew much skepticism from the general public. They had their own sense of peace, own sense of law and order, and carried out their actions as such."

"And such, a group that was never really considered as good or evil. It was up to the listener's discretion." Junon continued. "That is the story behind us."

"But then, why all this?" Steve spoke up. "Why spend so long fighting with us?"

"Lord Lucifer studied the CHAOS and its waves for many years." Junon explained. "From there, he devised a plan. He would tap into a small portion of the CHAOS' energy and unleash it from its dimension between the worlds. With it mostly under his control, it would be relatively easy for him to subdue and seal it once more."

"I don't understand." Janet scratched her head.

"It's because he wanted to be recognized as a Legendary Warrior, isn't it?" Zoe gasped. "So he would be seen as a hero, in-spite of his dark ancestry."

"Yes…" Junon nodded. "However, I'm afraid that as times wore on, Lord Lucifer became more and more desperate. Those clouded thoughts constantly drove him away from his original goal. At points, he even began to believe that he would be one of those chosen to bond with CHAOS fully. And yet, I followed, hoping for a change…"

"You remember he disappeared through the portal in the ancient city right?" Metallix stepped forward. "Well, we didn't hear from him since that time. Not until just a while ago. And he was in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Zoe pushed.

"Don't know. Couldn't hear much before his transmission was cut off."

"I fear the worst, and I realize that we lack the both ability to enter the CHAOS dimension and the strength to resolve this on our own." Junon's tone had lowered to a plea. "As such, we are humbly asking for your help."

The pink armored knight knelt and placed her Pile Bunker weapon on the ground alongside her helmet. Seeing that, Metallix dropped his guns and got down on his knees as well.

"I can only offer you my sword and my word, upon my honor as a knight."

"To swear upon your knight's code is a major thing." Aero remarked.

"What do you think?" Steve asked.

"Humph." Janet huffed. "Not if I have to deal with Dynamo again."

"I'm talking about if we can really trust them." Steve whispered.

"We can." Zoe said firmly, arousing various glances from the group. "They, and Lucifer know they've already lost their vouch on the CHAOS' power."

"How can you be so sure?" Aero placed a claw on her shoulder.

"Because, I know who the true destined host of the CHAOS is…" Zoe responded.

BOOM! A sudden explosion instinctively turned everyone's heads towards a mountain further away. Before anyone could react however, Zoe had already leapt off the cliff and was soaring towards the source.

* * *

The pain hardly even registered in his mind. In fact, Sekata's mind barely managed to comprehend that he could no longer feel his legs and tail. Or that his guts were splattered all over the floor.

A sudden clatter sounded as AncientGreymon tossed the blood-stained Ryuukonken aside. The ancient dragon approached Sekata's barely conscious body and tossed him upwards. Instinctively, Sekata's wings moved to try and stabilize his body.

However, AncientGreymon was already in the air. All at once, his claws were upon Sekata. One motion ripped the right wing off the Vritramon's back, spluttering blood, bone and flesh. The second claw was on his back, and Sekata suddenly felt a great weight there.

He was plunging down headfirst, chest slamming into the hard, rocky ground. The amount of bones cracking was too much for Sekata to bear. If his lower back had been broken earlier, then the rest of his spine was now badly fractured.

Sekata was lying facedown and literally could not move. He could not feel even his neck, or anything else below that. No matter how much his mind screamed, Sekata's body would no longer respond.

AncientGreymon then walked over and grabbed the back of Sekata's head in a claw. The victorious dragon swung his victim around and pressed his head into the ground.

"I applaud you for your efforts." AncientGreymon leaned close to Sekata's head and whispered. "But I was in fact drawing on **three** sources. The two Spirits and the Ryuukonken. You had lost before you'd even begun."

Sekata groaned weakly, spitting out blood. AncientGreymon was pressing his head against the cold steel of the Ryuukonken, but not like it mattered anymore.

"No hard feelings kid." AncientGreymon continued. "I could've made this easy on you, but you chose to take the fight to me. Fate just chose you for this…"

The claw muscles tensed.

"Wait…" Sekata coughed.

"Hmm?"

"What do…you…really…want with…your…new life…" Sekata said weakly.

"…"AncientGreymon hesitated.

"You…don't really know…do…you?"

Suddenly, AncientGreymon detected the beating of wings and the sound of footsteps from outside. Sekata's friends were probably approaching. AncientGreymon took hold of Sekata's head again.

The young dragon was looking up into his eyes until the moment that he twisted.

And the moment Zoe arrived was just in time to see, as well as hear, the last sound. The dull snap of Sekata's neck…the last throes of his life being taken.

CRACK!

Zoe stopped, stunned into utter silence. She wanted to just scream, run, fight…too many things to comprehend at once. And yet, she managed but not a single sound.

All she could do was watch as Sekata's body broke down into rings of Digicode that were absorbed by AncientGreymon. The ancient dragon glared straight at her after that.

Completely freezing up, the XV-mon just didn't know how to react. Strangely, it was AncientGreymon who hesitated as well. For he had once been an XV-mon himself in his younger days, and it just stunned him a little.

"Zoe! Sekata!" Steve, Janet and Aero entered.

AncientGreymon abruptly snapped out of his trance, breaking into a mad rush. His body burst into flames, causing everyone to dive or roll out of his way. With a roar, AncientGreymon broke a new opening in the wall and spread his wings, shooting off like a rocket into blue sky.

No one moved an inch until the Legendary Dragon had disappeared.

"What the…" Janet muttered.

"That was one of the Legendary Warrior 10, AncientGreymon." Aero realized.

"Then what was he doing here?" Steve gasped. "Zoe? How about Sekata? Is he…"

The female dragon didn't answer. All she did was walk over to the Ryuukonken, which AncientGreymon had left behind. The once glorious sword was now charred and covered in Sekata's blood.

Zoe took hold of the blade for a second, then dropped to her knees…and wept bitterly.

* * *

**Several hours later…**

The rain continued pouring down, as if to mark the ominous mood of the group. The searing thunder and chilly winds had everyone huddling around various fires in the cavern. Everyone except Zoe that was, who sat in a corner by herself and continued staring at Sekata's sword.

Steve constantly glanced towards the XV-mon with concern, but Janet and Aero held him back. All of them felt the Sekata's loss, but Zoe had been the closest one to him, and she was the mostly deeply affected.

Sealsdramon remained vigilantly standing at the mouth of the cavern. Rain was still beating in, but the soldier continued to keep watch while Junon and Metallix sat at another corner of the cave. There was still an uneasy tension between the two fractions despite their current truce.

All those factors contributed to the state of silence, which was broken only by occasional murmurs and the howling winds.

"I still can't believe it…" Steve whispered. "Sekata is…"

"Don't say it." Janet held up a claw whilst turning her head away.

"No, it's my fault. I made Sekata mad and yet he came to rescue me." Steve continued. "I never got the chance to apologize. I just feel…so…"

"It's the kind of person he was." Aero nodded. "Sekata was always the one to come through in the end. That's what made him a great leader."

"Yeah, but he barely even wore the goggles I gave him."

WHACK! TWHACK! The Flamedramon immediately received a couple of smacks for that.

"Ow! Ow! Hey!" Steve hissed, although consciously trying to keep his voice down.

"Seems like they're here." Sealsdramon called, indicating that his sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps.

They were 'just' audible in the raging storm, meaning that it was a reasonably large figure approaching. Sure enough, the massive bulk of the Zudomon, Blappa, lumbered into view.

Upon reaching the cave, Blappa released the two smaller passengers he'd been holding in his arms: Wisemon and Katsu, the Shadramon friend of Zoe's group. It was notable that the Shadramon was carrying a large bag with him.

"Bumpy ride, but once much appreciated." Wisemon bowed, squeezing water out of his soaked robes.

"Hey guys." Katsu waved. "I finally got here, and I guess I would be saying hello and all. But…well…I…heard about Sekata."

The awkward silence that greeted him was enough to show Katsu the group's feelings.

"I too will mourn his loss." Blappa added in, with reference to Sekata.

"How's your grandson?" Aero queried.

"Ace is fine. He's just worn out and is resting at home."

"Did you tell him about…"

"No, not yet." Blappa shook his head. "I left him sleeping for now. I just don't know how to tell him."

Wisemon strode towards Zoe, who looked up upon his arrival.

"Did you know about this?" The XV-mon asked, indicating Sekata's Ryuukonken blade.

"About his compatibility with CHAOS, yes." Wisemon replied. "It was prophesized in our legends and I had trained my senses to recognize the aura."

"But that wasn't CHAOS that I saw just now." Zoe frowned. "That dragon… AncientGreymon of the Warrior 10, according to Aero…"

"Another presence that was lying dormant within. It remained hidden from me as well, until the point where I tried to look into the powers of that odd device he possessed."

"The D-Dragon…"

"I saw that the other entity was growing greatly in power, having nearly reached its peak."

"And then it just took over." Zoe muttered. "And killed him. I should've known. I always had the feeling that there was something Sekata was hiding from me."

"Why would he do that?" Steve walked over as Wisemon allowed him to pass. "Especially if it was such a serious problem."

"Because it affected his powers as Vritramon and Kaiser Greymon." Zoe explained. "Sekata didn't want us worrying about him."

"With your own psychic talents, could you have sensed that other presence?"

"Maybe I could've, but either way I chose not to. I trusted Sekata's word on that…"

"Then let's go after that ancient dragon." Janet declared. "For Sekata's sake, we'll…"

"No, we settle the issue with the shards and CHAOS once and for all." Zoe suddenly got to her feet.

"Huh?"

"It's just a feeling I have." The XV-mon replied, closing her eyes and touching her heart. "It's what Sekata would've wanted…for us to focus on the target we've had for so long."

"Yeah, the goal's almost in reach." Janet agreed.

"And somehow, I have the feeling that our other problems will be resolved along the way." Zoe finished with a determined look.

"Excuse me." Junon looked over to Wisemon. "But about our other comrade."

"Yes, we have agreed to release him as well." The robed Digimon responded. "Sleipmon will bring him along shortly."

"Oh wonderful…" Janet moaned.

"Try not to hurt him when he does come along." Steve laughed.

"Oh I won't…" Janet hissed. "Not too badly at least."

"Only thing is…" Steve held up the three CHAOS shards. "We have these, but what do we do with them now?"

"I guess that's where I come in." Katsu waved. "I couldn't manage to get a sophisticated computer or scanning device fast enough, so I had to make do with this…"

All heads turned as the Shadramon reached into his haversack and pulled out a large metallic object. One that was shaped like a reptile's head….and was struggling.

"Gaarrrrggghhh!" The head of Chaosdramon X howled. "What do you want with me now?"

* * *

A long series of conversations and discussions followed, but it eventually led to the combined group standing at the base of the volcano Akchenedash. The rain had recently stopped and the eruption had long since died down.

Now, all present stood amongst the rocks, watching as Zoe reached into the haversack and retrieved Chaosdramon's head.

"Will you do it then?" Zoe directed the question towards the mechanical dragon. Or what remained of him at least.

"And what? You're gonna scramble my hard drive if I don't?" Chaosdramon snapped.

"I'm asking you nicely here."

"Hmm…just one thing." Chaosdramon's eyes moved. "I don't see Sekata around here."

"Oh, so someone got him, huh?"

Zoe paused for a long while before responding with a nod.

"I see." The cybernetic dragon muttered. "You know, he always had….this 'thing' for you."

"Huh?" Zoe's eyes widened in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really know. It was a strange emotion amongst the memories I acquired from him during the soul binding process that created me."

"Was there anything else?"

"None that I know of. Only several of his basic memories were copied onto mine."

"Thank you for telling me." Zoe said softly.

"I have a request." Chaosdramon continued. "That you teach me about that 'emotion' after this."

"It's a promise." Zoe nodded. "Now, we need you to help us first."

"Oh fine then."

Zoe connected the three shards to the back of Chaosdramon's head. The machine fell silent as his eyes glowed purple. Then, a yellowish light emitted from his open jaws and begun sweeping around the area.

"What's he doing again?" Steve whispered.

"Scanning the area using the CHAOS shard's energy signatures." Aero explained. "They're trying to pinpoint a location where a portal can be opened, much like the one back in that ancient city."

"A portal that will lead us to that dimension between the worlds." Janet finished.

For several tense minutes, it seemed as if the scans were revealing nothing. Were the shards not working? Was their energy concentration still not strong enough? Or were they even in the right place for that matter?

It had mostly been a research based guess that the portal might be around this area. For when the explosion had scattered bits of the CHAOS shards from the ancient city, Aero's research had pointed to them being drawn towards several specific locations.

The Akchenedash region was one of those he'd shortlisted for giving off similar energy readings to the two CHAOS shards the group had previously obtained. However, the energy emitted by just two shards was deemed to be insufficient to open the portal.

Hence, their search for a third, which had eventually brought them to this location.

A sudden flicker of light cleared everyone's doubts. The yellow beam fell upon one of the many rocky surfaces of the mountainside.

Rocks around that spot seemed to shimmer and slowly, a swirling black vortex appeared. Accompanying it was a bright flash that caused all present to involuntarily cover their faces.

"Whoa…" Janet gasped.

This was the portal everyone had been searching for. But even as it literally stood right in front of their eyes, all were hesitant.

Zoe shoved Chaosdramon's head into Katsu's arms and became the first Digimon to approach, although cautiously.

A dark ball of energy suddenly burst out from the portal, startling Zoe. Before the dragoness even knew what was happening, she'd drawn the Ryuukonken and sliced the specter in half. Zoe stared at the weapon and watched the target disseminating out of the corner of her eye.

"Sekata?" She whispered, turning her head from side to side as if searching for something….or someone.

* * *

_Where…where am I? _Sekata blinked. At least, he thought that he did.

The world was dark and quiet all around. His senses were barely registering anything, but somehow that didn't surprise Sekata too much.

Neither did the fact that he couldn't feel his body. He also very clearly remembered the battle with AncientGreymon, one that he'd lost rather badly.

_Is this what death feels like?_

But something just did not seem quite right. Sekata was feeling some strange presence close by. Possibly in the dark? There was no way for him to tell.

Then…an image flashed into his mind.

_Zoe_…

* * *

There was no time for any follow-up queries, for an entire swarm of the dark energy blobs abruptly burst out of the portal. The initial panic sent everyone scrambling.

"Garrrgghh!" Metallix screeched as one of the blobs rammed his shoulder. The cybernetic components there hissed and crackled with electricity.

Junon stepped in front of the Metal Garurumon X and with a yell, sliced the blob into particles. Inspired, the wolf was quick to attack another, slashing the energy mass to pieces with several swipes of his claws.

"What are these things?" Sealsdramon gasped, daggers in hand. The black dragon was back to back with Blappa, attacking any foes that came to close.

"Youkai." Wisemon muttered. "Lesser spirits or demons of a larger entity. In this case, it should be CHAOS."

"Then, this portal must be very close to it." Aero realized. "Considering the amount of these Youkai."

"Good thing they die easily!" Janet yelled, whipping her tail to swat off more of the spirits.

"They're not the problem!" Steve dashed to the Strikedramon's side. "Just the distraction!"

Unfortunately, the previously shapeless blobs were beginning to take form. Many had already copied the appearance of a black-colored Bakemon.

Shaped like a small ghost, they weren't strong, but had the numbers on their side.

"Hammer Spark!" Blappa smashed his humongous two-handed hammer into the ground, sending out a shockwave that blew many of the Bakemon spirits to dust.

Sealsdramon sailed through the air and sliced more apart with his swift dagger strokes. Katsu helped as best as he could, but one of the insect's hands was occupied holding Chaosdramon's head.

Fortunately, Wisemon was able to compensate for that. Uttering a soft chant, the sage called forth a ring of flames which charred any Youkai in its path.

Other mini-battles had erupted, with Metallix firing his guns and Aero shooting off his V-Wing Blade attack. Steve, Janet and Junon got more physical, using claws, tails or weapons when applicable.

Up front, Zoe was executing wide slashes with the Ryuukonken, tearing apart any spirits that were unlucky enough to get caught by the cutting edge.

"Man, when did she get this good with a sword?" Katsu wondered.

Unbeknown to all, it wasn't so much of Zoe's effort, but the sword's instead. It was as if something was drawing the sword to move and Zoe was simply following along.

With a final roar, the XV-mon charged forward, smashing the last of the Youkai out of her way before leaping through the portal.

"Zoe!" Steve and Janet cried as their blue dragon comrade vanished into the vortex.

"We can't let her go alone!" Steve growled.

"Then come on!" Janet extended her claw as she changed from Strikedramon to Cyberdramon.

Steve grabbed a hold as the Ultimate level dragon pushed off the ground and shot towards the portal.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Watch out!" Steve screamed as they darted in-between the numerous Youkai.

"I know! Now shut up!" Janet snarled furiously.

The moment's distraction was costly however, for Janet suddenly crashed into a couple of ghosts. The spirits exploded with a fiery sensation that sent both dragons flying in different directions.

Screaming all the way, Steve disappeared headfirst through the portal. But Janet was not as lucky, being sent spinning wildly out of control and crashing into a pile of boulders.

Dazed and moaning, Janet looked up just in time to see a horde of Bakemon approaching.

"Heads up!"

Janet recognized the voice, but could barely believe it. The next instant, she was caught up in a flash of a black cape as a Chaos Dukemon pulled her out of harm's way.

"What the…" Janet looked up into the face of Dynamo. "No! You are not actually saving my life!"

"Well, thank me later princess." Dynamo winked, dropping Janet safely in a patch of grass and rolling to his feet. "Judecca Prison!"

A pillar of white light fired out of the black knight's shield, blowing Janet's attackers apart.

"Moron…" The Cyberdramon snarled. "I could've taken them alone!"

"Jan! Let's go!" Aero signaled.

"Yeah, you'd better hurry." Dynamo gestured, fighting off more Youkai with his lance.

Janet sprang to her feet and dashed towards Aero. A crossbow bolt suddenly shot across the field, detonating any Youkai in its path.

The firer was none other than Sleipmon, who calmly loaded another bolt into his weapon.

"Go." The centaur ordered. "We will take care of the enemies out here."

"Hey, music to my ears buddy!" Sealsdramon shouted from another side.

"You got it!" Aero showed a thumbs-up.

"Thanks everyone!" Janet breathed.

Taking the last few steps, the dragon duo jumped and vanished into the swirling vortex.


	54. Darkness Named

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Darkness Named**

By nightdragon0

"Whoa! Whoa! Yargh!"

SPLAT!

Finding himself facedown in the soft mud wasn't exactly something Steve expected after spinning through the vortex. The Flamedramon lifted his head and glanced around.

It was not like anything he'd imagined. Rather than being a dark tunnel or a void of nothingness, this area was a wide open field.

The ground was barren and the sky colored in a deep purple. Various boulders and other rock structures littered the area, but the place seemed to be devoid of life as far as eye could see.

Another scream suddenly erupted behind him. Steve wasn't quick enough to react to this one either and found his face splattered in the mud again. Only this time with a heavy weight on his back.

"Oops! Sorry Steve!" Janet panted. "But thanks for breaking my fall."

"Oooohhh…" Was Steve's muffled reply.

"Garrgghh!" Aero appeared from the portal, resulting in another collision.

"This has got to stop." Steve sighed from the bottom of the pile.

The trio quickly picked themselves up and examined their surroundings. Other than what Steve had already seen, there was little else to take note of. Notably, their Digivices were able to receive a map reading.

Un-surprisingly, it seemed like area after area of empty space.

"Zoe's signal is here." Janet pointed to her electronic map. "We'd best head towards her."

"Actually, it looks like she's already coming this way." Steve remarked.

The blue dot on the map screen soon became a blue dot in the sky. A Paildramon was approaching at full speed.

"Hey! Zoe!" Aero waved.

Even as she drew closer, Zoe showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, the Paildramon was speeding up….with her waist-mounted blasters raised.

"Zoe!" Janet called. "What are you…"

"Desperado Blaster!"

The trio cringed as the blue energy bolts raced past. However, it became apparent that Zoe had actually been aiming at something behind them.

Eerie howls arose as Zoe's shots detonated a group of Bakemon spirits.

"Wow…" Janet gasped. "Hey, you could've warned us first!"

"Sorry…" Zoe panted. "There wasn't time and besides…I was completely….out of breath."

"Still, you shouldn't have gone through the portal alone." Aero told her. "At least wait for the rest of us the next time. We're a team, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry guys. But it's just that…" Zoe closed her eyes. "I think I…heard…Sekata's voice calling out to me."

"What?" The others stared.

"I don't know how to explain it." Zoe continued. "But I just sense it. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel something in this field."

"No one said they doubted you." Aero patted her shoulder. "Is this thing you sense showing up on the map?"

"Nope, and there's nothing I can see."

"Is that why you were up in the sky?"

"Yeah, but the further I got from this spot, the more the feeling diminished."

"Hmmm…"

"Have you tried looking underground?" Steve spoke up.

"Underground?" Zoe blinked. "I never thought of that!"

"Well, it seems pretty soft considering I've tasted it three times in the past five minutes."

"Still, how would we know exactly where to start?" Janet wondered.

"Wait for some of those dark spirits to rise up." Zoe suggested.

"Rise up?" Janet queried.

"You mean like the hand around her ankle?" Steve pointed towards Janet.

"What the? RRarrrgggghhh!" The Cyberdramon jumped and stomped down on the Bakemon's cloth-covered hand.

More of the Youkai started rising from the spot, which had the party backing away.

"We'll aim at the ground this time." Zoe nodded. "On three…"

"Three!" The party declared.

"Knuckle Fire!"

"Erase Claw!"

"V-Wing Blade!"

"Desperado Blaster!"

Fire mingled with both blue and white energy, all converging into a massive ball of light. Zoe's bolts blew that apart, resulting in a huge explosion. Unfortunately, it collapsed more of the ground than they'd been prepared for…sending the dragons plunging into the depths.

"GGGwwwaaarrrggghh!" Steve panicked, fumbling desperately.

The Flamedramon managed to find his grip along the 'wall' of the pit. He looked up just in time to see a large rock shooting towards his head.

"Oh sh…"

WHAM!

* * *

"Owww…" Zoe blinked, rolling to her side.

At least the cavern did have a bottom, or else they wouldn't be lying on it right now. It was a big mess after the 'avalanche', with dozens of rock fragments decorating the ground.

Steve, Janet and Aero were starting to come round too, pulling their partially buried bodies out of the rubble.

"Why does this always happen to us?" Janet moaned, shaking the ringing out of her ears.

"Man…my head…" Steve muttered. "Can't I ever get a break these days?"

"Don't be such a crybaby." Janet whacked his shoulder.

"Erm…speaking of 'baby'." Aero gestured.

The other dragons slowly turned in Aero's direction and their jaws dropped in utter astonishment. Lined up neatly before them were rows and rows of large, oval-shaped white objects.

"These…they look like eggs!" Steve gasped, walking over and lightly tapping the nearest one.

"But what would they be doing here?" Janet added in.

"Things probably aren't quite as they appear." Zoe suggested.

CRACK! All heads turned as the egg closest to Steve begun to crack. A hole, though tiny at first, appeared as the creature within started to push its way out.

"What could it be?" Steve wondered whilst continuing to watch.

"It wouldn't be advisable to stand there." Aero warned.

"Nah, nothing newly hatched out of an egg could possibly hurt…"

"RRROOOAAARRR!" The massive horned head of a dragon suddenly burst out, snapping its jaws wildly at Steve.

This beast was a Death-X Dorugremon (Dekusu Dorugremon), an Ultimate level Digimon. As large as dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus, the four legged structure of this dragon was very similar. Covered in black scales with two sets of blood-red leathery wings, it was a terrifying sight to behold, lashing its barbed tail around. Metallic implants also lined its wings, including a helmet that was built into its head.

Its eyes were completely covered, with only its razor-sharp fangs and the single horn on its nose being revealed.

Experiencing what could be described as massive growth spurts, the Death-X Dorugremon grew from the size of the egg to its full size in the blink of an eye.

The virus type lunged again, catching Steve's tail between its razor-like fangs.

"Wha…harrgghh! Help!" The Flamedramon screeched.

Death-X Dorugremon simply tossed the smaller dragon upwards and swallowed him whole.

"Steve!" Everyone cried, horrified.

More eggs had burst open by this time, sending swarms of Death-X Dorugremon charging out. Zoe, Janet and Aero immediately had their claws full, frantically pounding the dragons away. The newly 'hatched' ones weren't very strong, but it took considerable effort to take down something of their size.

Many got past the three of them, flying up and out of the cavern.

"Garrgghh!" Janet fired off another Erase Claw. "What the heck are these things?"

"Who knows?" Aero shouted. "I'm more concerned about where they're headed!"

"To the portal it seems."

"Then our allies on the outside are going to have trouble."

"Let's worry about Steve first!" Janet decided. "Try to find the one that…yarrgghh!"

One of the creatures abruptly broke through their defenses and knocked the two dragons over. Janet and Aero found their breaths taken out as the Death-X Dorugremon stomped down with its front legs, slowly squeezing the life out of them.

Snarling, the virus type gave a strong whiff of its foul breath, causing the pair to gag as they struggled. Strangely, so did Death-X Dorugremon.

However, it quickly became clear that something else was behind the choking of their opponent. In its spasms of pain, the quadruped dragon released its victims and stumbled away. Seconds later, a gaping hole appeared in its stomach.

And the cause of this was a Flamedramon literally blasting his way out in a shower of goo and data particles. The rest of the huge body collapsed as Steve rolled away, flopping down on the floor in exhaustion.

"Steve!" Janet and Aero happily pulled their muck-covered friend to his feet.

"Garrgghh…ewww…" Steve gasped. "God! You won't believe the things I saw in there!"

"We thought you were…" Janet trailed off.

"Guys, more incoming!" Steve pointed to a new group of Death-X Dorugremon that was rapidly approaching.

"Where's Zoe?" Aero yelled.

"There!" Janet pointed. "But she might not be doing too well!"

* * *

"Whew…" Sealsdramon was on his knees, dripping with perspiration.

The flood of Youkai had finally died down, allowing the Digimon some precious seconds of rest.

"That's the last of them." Sleipmon remarked.

"Perhaps just for now." Wisemon muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Blappa asked.

"The dark powers of CHAOS still feel very strong. In fact, it seems almost as if they're rising…"

BOOM! The group started, looking up to find an entire section of the mountain wall broken off. The vortex now 'stood' in the center of a Death-X Dorugremon swarm, which had no doubt emerged from it.

"Holy shit!" Dynamo and Metallix backed into each other wide, bulging eyes.

"Crap there are even more this time!" Katsu stared in horror. "What do we do now?"

"We keep fighting." Junon stepped on front of the group and brought up her Pile Bunker shield. "Argent Fear!"

A volley of red energy orbs shot out, slicing through the throat of the lead attacker. That Death-X Dorugremon collapsed with a hideous scream, which was quickly drowned out by the screeching of the others.

"Garuru Burst!" Metallix opened every panel and hidden weapon built into his body, unleashing bullets and missiles in all directions.

"Demon's Disaster!" Dynamo charged his lance up with electricity and broke into a series of super swift thrusts, piercing through the bodies of the dragons that came too close.

Drawing back, the dark knight paused and shot a glanced towards the swirling vortex. A Death-X Dorugremon suddenly came at him from above, only to be knocked away by Junon.

"Hey thanks." Dynamo breathed.

"Don't get distracted." Junon warned.

"Sorry, was just thinking…" Dynamo gestured towards the portal. "About them. You know?"

It was pretty obvious to Junon about whom Dynamo was referring to, causing the pink armored knight to let off a long sigh.

"So am I." Junon said softly. "So am I…."

* * *

"Esgrima!" Zoe extended the blades built into her wrists and slashed, together with the Ryuukonken.

The three blades easily tore through the nearest Death-X type dragon as she spun around, taking another one out in the same manner. However, there was barely any time to think as the attacks continuously came.

A barbed tail knocked the Paildramon off her feet, sending her crashing into a pile of the eggs. Zoe lost hold of the sword, which spun and impaled itself in one of those eggs. One would've expected the eggshell to shatter, but instead it crackled with blue energy.

Zoe stared for a second and realized that she was still on her back as a Death-X Dorugremon approached.

"Elemental Bolt!" Zoe thrust both hands forward, sending a wave of electrical charges into the dragon's face.

The blue dragon's foe shot past her and crashed, unfortunately with so much impact that it Zoe was tossed roughly in another direction. Zoe was suddenly grounded and surrounded by three Death-X Dorugremon all at once.

However, just as the virus dragons were poised to strike, a bright flash emitted from the rear. Zoe could just make out the shape of the egg with the Ryuukonken stuck in it. Another Death-X Dorugremon burst out from it and roared.

Expecting the worst, Zoe covered her head. But this particular dragon didn't attack her, rather it went straight for the other three Death-X Dorugremon, pounding and lashing them all aside.

"Wha…" Zoe gasped at the remaining dragon turned its head towards her.

"Zoe…" The voice was strong, gentle and so familiar. "It's me!"

"S…Sekata?"

"You have to trust me Zoe! You'll know what to believe!" The larger dragon told her.

Another Death-X Dorugremon came at Zoe's rescuer, who stepped to the side and shoved the virus type away with his tail.

It was then that Zoe begun snap out of her panicked state and notice the difference.

While his structure and size were the same as the hordes of dragons flying around, his coloring was completely different. The primary color of the scales was red with black stripes and a white underbelly. That pattern continued all the way down to the muscular tail, which lacked the barbed metallic spikes of the virus version.

The two pairs of silver wings were much more smooth and shiny, though there were a set of golden 'wing rings' attached to the bone. But probably the most distinguishing feature was that this dragon's face wasn't covered, revealing his brown eyes and a single red jewel embedded in his forehead.

This one was a vaccine attributed Dorugremon. And it was those brown eyes that Zoe looked deep into to find her answers.

"It…really is you!" The dragoness stuttered.

"Zoe!" Janet, Steve and Aero were running over, fully intent on attacking.

"Wait!" Zoe jumped in front of the Dorugremon, holding her arms out. "It's all right."

"Hey guys…" Sekata leaned over her shoulder. "Missed me?"

"Sekata?" Janet stopped short.

However, the reunion didn't get very far. A new swarm of Death-X Dorugremon were closing in, forcing everyone to leap for cover. All except for Sekata, who head-bashed the nearest one away.

As a second one approached, Sekata whipped it in the face using his tail, momentarily stunning the beast. He then went for the virus type's neck and sank his fangs into the flesh, biting down hard. The Death-X Dorugremon screeched wildly as Sekata swung it from side to side, snapping its neck in the process.

The creature's body fell limp, but much to the surprise of the others, Sekata didn't put it down. Instead, the body broke into rays of blue Digicode, which Sekata consumed using his jaws.

"What is he doing?" Aero wondered.

Suddenly, Sekata jerked back and let off a long howl.

His friends all jumped back and covered their ears. The other Death-X Dorugremon were also affected, quickly vacating the area. That left just the five of them standing there staring.

Sekata's Dorugremon form then glowed with a blinding white light. And when the others looked up, a smaller humanoid dragon, Dorugoramon, was standing in its place.

"Sekata?" Everyone gasped.

Smiling, the Dorugoramon held up his left fist, revealing the black and red D-Dragon strapped there. Immediately, Zoe ran over and threw her arms around him.

"Sekata…I thought I'd really lost you this time…" The dragoness sniffed, unable to get out any more.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Sekata's grip was as firm as the wings that he folded around Zoe.

They were soon joined by the others, all jumping over Sekata and celebrating….for this moment at least.

* * *

"And that's the whole story of AncientGreymon and myself." Sekata finished, leading the group down the tunnel.

With the egg chamber cleared of enemies, the party had followed their D-Dragons' maps towards the source of CHAOS' energy. The journey had taken them down a series of winding paths, many of which were lit only by the light of their D-Dragons.

Along the way, Sekata had told everyone about the secret battle he'd been fighting for so long. Following that had been much discussion and many tearful exchanges.

"But then, how are you here now?" Zoe asked. "I saw you…being killed by that ancient warrior."

"Thanks to this thing." Sekata held up the Ryuukonken. "AncientGreymon took my body, but my soul ended up trapped inside this blade. I guess that when you got it stuck in that egg, there was enough data for me to take on another form."

"So, it was you who was guiding me to use the blade." Zoe realized. "And you were also leading me here!"

"I could neither talk nor move while my soul was stuck inside the sword. But somehow, I was able to influence your feelings."

"Just as well that you did." Zoe said softly.

"Don't you think it's rather convenient that the data inside that egg was for a lower form of yours?" Janet queried.

"Actually, it's more of the reverse." Sekata explained. "The data of my Dorugoramon body came from here."

"Here?" Aero wondered. "Then what about the Death-X mon we fought? Wasn't it an old experiment form the ancient city?"

"Indeed it was. But the source of their experimental data was from this dimension, this pandemonium."

"Pandemonium huh?" Steve whistled. "Catchy name."

"Fitting though." Janet agreed.

"Then those Death X Digimon…" Zoe began.

"Yes, spawns of CHAOS….emissaries of this dimension, you name it." Sekata nodded. "That's what the Death-X series is all about…the counterpart of the X-antibody, the counterpart of order and light…"

"But for you, your Dorugoramon isn't a Death-X type." Zoe noted.

"That's because he's the good guy, duh!" Steve beamed. "I still remember that Death-X Dorugoramon I fought. That was killer stuff!"

"Did you really?" Janet jabbed the Flamedramon's ribs.

"Wonderful! Still no one believes me!"

"If you didn't tell so many tall stories, then perhaps some people would!"

"Guys!" Aero said excitedly. "I've got an odd reading up ahead!"

"CHAOS?" Sekata's heart skipped a beat.

"No, the energy signature is different."

"Let's check it out." Janet decided, grabbing Steve's arm. "Come on hot-shot."

"Whoa! Whoa! Not so hard!" Steve whined.

"I'll go keep them out of trouble." Aero nodded, noticing Sekata and Zoe standing very close together. "I guess you two need a bit of time together too."

With that, the Aero V-dramon moved on ahead, leaving Sekata and Zoe at the rear.

"Sekata…" The Paildramon placed her arms around Sekata's waist. "I've….just got…so much to say….and yet…so little time."

"I'm sorry I…kept my curse hidden from you guys." Sekata placed his claws on top of Zoe's.

"But soon it'll all be over. We'll be able to just go back and live life freely."

"You're right…all this will be over soon." Sekata closed his eyes. "However….I…may not be around…"

Zoe gasped, releasing her grip on Sekata. The Dorugoramon turned and faced Zoe, taking hold of her hands.

"You do remember about me being CHAOS' chosen host? And even this current body of mine, it's created from the data and energies in this dimension. All linked to CHAOS…" Sekata whispered. "Once it's all gone…"

"There has to be another way!"

"Zoe…I have to…do what I must. We all need to…"

"Sekata…" Zoe was close to sobbing and leaned her head against his chest.

Sekata hugged the dragoness tighter, with not only his arms, but wings and tail as well.

"Hey! Sekata! Zoe!" Aero shouted. "Get over here quick!"

Startled, the two dragons broke away from each other and stared into the other's eyes. Nodding, both took off running down the cavern.

* * *

"I'm free. I'm finally free…" AncientGreymon stood on the cliff edge, allowing the cool breeze to rustle through his wings.

After so many years of being confined to an existence neither living nor dead, the ancient dragon was finally out here, in the actual Digital World. Looking down from the high mountains to the valleys and trees below reminded him so much of his time as a youth.

AncientGreymon had been plotting, hoping, wishing…and finally the fruits of his labor had bloomed. The strange thing was that the ancient dragon didn't feel as overjoyed as he thought he would've. Something was still tingling in the back of his head.

"Damn kid…" AncientGreymon muttered with reference to Sekata.

Absorbing the younger dragon's data had completely healed the injuries of their battle, plus made him feel stronger than ever before. But as much as he tried to deny it, AncientGreymon just couldn't put Sekata out of his mind.

No…he's lost his feelings…lost all sense of emotions so long ago. But that kid…he just had to know.

Closing his eyes, AncientGreymon reached out with his mental abilities. The warrior was pleased to find those psychic powers had improved tremendously over the ages, allowing him to scan the entire area with a mere thought.

Looking back to the scene of their battle, AncientGreymon found nothing. However, a familiar energy signature caught his senses, and he followed it like a scent trail. And there….it was a portal leading to a dark realm beyond.

All around it were 'dots' of various figures…spawns of the CHAOS and several Digimon fighting them. It was hard to tell who was winning, but they weren't the ones AncientGreymon were interested in as he reached further.

The signatures of Sekata's friend did go into the darkness, ending there because it was too difficult to 'see' into the beyond.

_So, they really went in. They're really going to challenge the CHAOS…_

But wait, there was another signature…the Ryuukonken. And mixed with that one was…Sekata's? AncientGreymon was initially puzzled, however he soon begun to laugh.

_The kid…even when I took his body's data, his soul went into the Ryuukonken. He used it as a vessel, much like the two Spirits of Fire were for my soul. _AncientGreymon realized. _Yet another thing the kid learnt from me in the heat of the moment._

The energy trails of Sekata's friends also led into the portal and beyond, indicating that they'd all gone in together. They were so determined to end this…fight this battle until the end…

AncientGreymon paused, frowning hard.

_The truly important thing is life itself. That joy alone far exceeds anything that power could give me…_

_Will you just turn your back when you know you can make a difference?_

_What do you really want out of this new life you've given yourself?_

"Garrrgghh!" AncientGreymon slammed his paws against the ground, stirring up a huge cloud of dirt and rocks. He just couldn't take this anymore.

* * *

"So, for the first time we meet in person." The humanoid figure managed a weak smile. "I'm almost glad that we could get acquainted."

This was none other than Lucifer, leader of the Royal Knights, in the form of his Ultimate level mode of Lucemon. The pathway beyond had led into a narrow corridor, where the dragons had found him stumped against the wall.

He could quite easily have passed off as a human or an elf, and a very handsome blond haired one for that matter. Lucifer's ears were pointed like an elf's and his blue eyes matched the color of his hair rather nicely.

On the right side of his back were three angelic wings while on the left, three devil-like ones. A miniature angle wing and devil wing also protruded from his head, being on the same side as their larger counterparts.

Lucifer was dressed in what was once a grand-looking suit, a black coat, a white shirt beneath, a pair of white long trousers and high white boots. Various pieces of golden jewelry and gems also adorned his clothing.

However, much of the jewelry was charred and broken. Many parts of his suit had large rips in them, exposing the pale colored flesh beneath. Scars and bruises covered most of his body, including some on his face. His wings were in no better condition, being crumpled and tattered to varying degrees.

A sleek fencing rapier lay by his side, although it was broken in half. If the fallen angel had been fighting a one-man war, it was clearly reflected by his injuries.

Steve, Janet and Aero had gathered around him unsure of how to react. Sekata and Zoe finally appeared and moved to the front of the pack.

"So you're the Lucifer we've heard so much about." Sekata remarked.

The fallen angel looked at each of the dragons in turn, and breathed deeply.

"I don't expect your sympathy." Lucifer muttered. "But I've unleashed something terrible…something far beyond my control."

"This one is a bad wound…" Zoe knelt by his side, indicating a bloodstained area at the left side of his stomach. "Let us clean it up for you."

"There's nothing much I can do to stop you, can I?"

Zoe quickly got to work, making use of some bandages that she kept inside her belt pouch. In the meantime, the dragoness continued talking.

"Your men requested our help to find you." Zoe told him.

"Junon?" Lucifer asked. "I suppose she would've…."

"It was the only logical thing to do sir." The Rhodo Knightmon suddenly appeared, accompanied by Dynamo as Chaos Dukemon and Metallix as Metal Garurumon X.

"What are you lot doing here?" Janet snapped.

"Hey, ain't no rule that says 'heroes access only'." Dynamo quipped.

"Those monsters stopped coming out of the portal, you know?" Metallix explained. "So we kinda just followed you guys in once the coast was clear."

"Oh, how typical." Janet huffed. "Letting us do the dirty work."

"Hmm…you're here too." Junon turned towards Sekata. "I guess it's true then that you're much harder to kill than we all think."

"Thanks…I guess…" Sekata muttered.

"Did you tell them everything, Junon?" Lucifer queried, gesturing weakly towards Sekata and the dragons.

"Yes sir, I have." Junon bowed. "I'm sorry…"

"No, it is I who should be apologizing to you." Lucifer insisted. "I let all these mad desires get a hold of me…and yet you followed me to the very end."

"Lord Lucifer…"

"So you understand my side of the tale?" Lucifer addressed Sekata and Zoe.

"Yes…" Zoe stood up, revealing the bandages wrapped around Lucifer's stomach. "I believe that there is no longer any reason for us to be fighting. We have a common enemy at hand."

"What can you tell us about the CHAOS then?" Sekata asked. "You've been in here a long time, so you must know something."

"To speak the truth, I spent much of my time wandering around with no real sense of direction." Lucifer admitted. "I only recently encountered the CHAOS in one of its forms."

"And?"

"It deemed me incompatible and drove me away." Lucifer gritted his teeth. "That fight did not go well for me, as you can obviously tell. Unfortunately, there is nothing more I am able to offer you."

"So, it's further down this way?" Sekata pointed down the other side of the corridor, the route leading downwards and further into the blackness.

"It is." Lucifer nodded grimly.

"Guys, let's go." Sekata declared.

Zoe, Steve, Janet and Aero all turned towards the Dragon Morphs leader as he clenched a claw into a fist.

"This is something I need to see through till the end." Sekata continued. "It's calling out for me. CHAOS knows I'm here…that's what's drawing out all of those Death-X dragons."

"Is that why CHAOS' power is growing?" Zoe realized. "Because it senses you?"

As if in response, loud screeching sounds suddenly echoed throughout the corridor. It seemed that the Death-X Dorugremon were back with a vengeance.

"They're close." Junon muttered, keeping her ears peeled.

"Didn't you scare them off earlier?" Steve asked.

"Only for a while." Sekata replied. "But they're sensing us…sensing me…"

"We'll hold them here and look after Lord Lucifer as well." Junon gestured. "You go on ahead."

"Sounds like a plan." Dynamo laughed, raising his lance.

"Yeah, I was looking forward to blowing more of them out of the sky." Metallix whipped out his guns.

"You guys…" Janet gasped.

"Hey, this ain't no time to get overly sentimental princess." Dynamo quipped.

"Humph. I still think you're the biggest moron I've ever met."

"Well, I'm happy to be remembered for something."

"Grrr…"

"Get going already." Dynamo waved, turning towards the direction of the screeching.

Janet hesitated for a few seconds longer before running to join her companions. Led by Sekata, the five dragons raced down the dark corridor as the roars and screams of fighting erupted behind them.

"It's here…" Sekata shouted as he navigated the winding hallways.

"Then we go against the CHAOS with our best." Zoe nodded. "Everyone…"

"Matrix Evolution!" The party chanted together.

Rays of blue Digicode shimmered as the group transformed into their Mega level forms.

Aero became Alforce V-dramon, a blue armored dragon knight with much of the same body structure as his Aero V-dramon form. Only that his scales were now covered by a layer of shinning white armor, along with at extendable laser blade and an energy shield equipped at either wrist.

Going from Flamedramon to Wargreymon X, Steve dramatically increased in size and bulk. Gone was his sleek and thin frame, replaced by a muscular, armored one. The primary color was gold, with touches of silver at the chest, legs, shoulders and helmet. The helmet took on the familiar Greymon-style three horned structure while his hands became covered with the famous Dramon Killer claw weapons.

Gaioumon was Janet's final form, an armored dragon being very similar in appearance to Wargreymon. The main armor was black instead of gold, and was designed in a more oriental fashion. Her weapons were a pair of gleaming katanas, Japanese-style samurai swords.

Zoe initially went down on all fours, changing into Imperialdramon Dragon Mode. A quadruped dragon with blue scales and a white underbelly, it was another 'familiar' face. The black armor over the main body was decorated with gold and silver horns, giving it a very regal feel.

But that wasn't the end, for Zoe switched into Fighter Mode. Imperialdramon shifted to standing upright, the hind legs straightening out to balance the body while the front paws shrank, becoming hands. The main weapon here was a huge blaster cannon known as the Positron Laser, mounted on her right wrist.

Already in his Mega form, Sekata didn't need to change any further. However, he still smiled at his friends, all of whom had stuck with him through thick and thin. And nothing would ever change that….no matter what the events that were about to transpire.

* * *

It wasn't long before the screeching was far behind them, leaving the dragons to fly through what seemed to be a large opening. The scene before them caused everyone to stop and gasp in mixed reactions of awe, terror, fear and shock.

This area was a massive void of nothingness, with no particularity defined floor or walls. It was simply an open space against a crimson red and white background, much like a piece of abstract art. Despite that, the dragons were able to stand firmly on the invisible ground.

However, the creature that stood in the center of that arena was the true cause for alarm.

It was a massive dragon, much larger than any of them. The beast stood relatively upright and was humanoid in form, although it had double-jointed knees and powerful-looking ankles. Going upwards, everyone was able to make out the three sets of wings on its back, along with a long tail threshing about behind it.

However, it was the color of the scales that most puzzled them. They were black, but not like any ordinary color. In fact, it could be best described as a picture of outer space….as if viewing the galaxy through a high powered telescope.

That 'starry' pattern covered its entire body, wings and tail included. Only the reptilian head was different, for it was covered by a silver mask. And the mask wasn't much either, simply the upper part of the face with the eyes clearly defined as a pair of green jewels.

"Is this…" Steve stuttered.

"This is…CHAOS?" Janet was finally able to find her voice.

"CHAOS has no real form." Aero noted. "It takes on forms from the minds of those who encounter it. And that's us."

"That's why it appears as a dragon here?" Zoe muttered.

"Keep on guard everyone!" Sekata ordered. "It's beginning to move!"

Indeed, the astral patterned dragon was shifting its head, staring directly at the group.

"Any battle plan?" Aero asked.

"The usual way we take things." Sekata winked.

"Scatter!" Janet shouted as CHAOS moved in with a claw swipe.

That claw alone was easily as big as Sekata, the largest of the five members. But it was slow and easily evaded by each one, allowing the Megas to get into position.

"Poseidon Force!" Steve gathered up a ball of watery energy, hurling it at CHAOS.

His opponent simply folded his wings to protect his body, causing the attack to fizzle out. Steve gasped, but Janet was hovering on the opposite side and took the opportunity to strike.

"Gaia Reactor!"

CHAOS reacted by blocking the red energy orb too. It was Aero and Zoe's turns to attack, shooting off their projectile attacks. Both lasers hit their mark on the side of CHAOS' shoulder, enraging the beast so that it turned to attack.

Its massive tail came down, creating an explosion on the part of the ground where it made contact. The four dragons dove out of harm's way, opening the opportunity for Sekata to charge in the midst of the distraction.

"Brave Metal!" The Dorugoramon roared, setting his armored body alit with spiritual flames.

A claw moved to intercept, but Sekata smashed right through, shattering CHAOS' right claw in a shower of data particles. CHAOS let off an indecipherable howl, a sound unlike any creature even known. As such, it was hard to tell if it was in pain or not.

Still, the chosen warriors didn't need any more encouragement to continue their assault.

"Positron Laser!" Zoe yelled, firing off her arm-cannon.

"Shining V Force!" The V-shaped plate on Aero's chestplate flashed and shot off a V-shape projectile.

Their foe blocked Zoe's lasers, but Aero's shots made contact, blowing the rest of its right arm apart. CHAOS' jaws moved and spewed forth a wave of orange flames that had both blue dragons scrambling out of the way. Fortunately, they were able to escape with minor burns.

As CHAOS roared, Steve and Janet swooped in from the left. Claws and blades ready, the duo edged nimbly around the swatting claw.

"Dramon Killer!" Steve spun into a tornado, piercing through the arm at the elbow point.

"Rinkazan!" Spinning a full 360 degrees, Janet brought both katanas down, slicing the left arm off at the shoulder and leaving the giant limb to slam down on the ground.

This time, CHAOS breathed out blue flames that caught both Steve and Janet in their wake. Upon seeing their plight, Sekata dove in to help his comrades, throwing his body in-between them and the attack. The Dorugoramon's body was still covered with the fires of his Brave metal ability, lessening the impact of the heat.

However, Sekata was still struggling until Aero came to his aid, materializing an energy shield attached to his left wrist.

"Tensegureto Shield!" The semi-translucent shield worked wonders, driving back the blast of flames.

With CHAOS distracted, Zoe charged up another attack, both her claws glowing with white energy. Slashing in an X-shaped motion, the Imperialdramon called out the name of the attack as she let it loose.

"Splendor Blade!"

The white ray of energy exploded in CHAOS' face, sending it stumbling backwards. Sekata somersaulted over Aero and pushed off the ground, using the momentum to propel himself straight towards the CHAOS dragon.

"Doru Diin!" Spinning into a ball, Sekata cleared the distance in a matter of seconds. Pausing for a split second to uncurl himself, the silver dragon unleashed a fury of claw, talon and tail slashes.

Panting, Sekata dropped to the floor and landed firmly on all fours. Behind him, the head of CHAOS screeched and fell, cleanly separated from its neck. The rest of CHAOS' body remained standing as the dragons caught their breath, glancing around in amazement.

* * *

"Did we do it?" Zoe wondered.

"Would seem so…" Aero nodded.

"You guys, don't you think this was surprisingly easy?" Steve gestured.

"Shut up before you jinx it." Janet snapped. "Bah, it's probably too late already."

"Unfortunately, I do agree with Steve." Sekata growled softly. "It's almost as if CHAOS was simply…"

All of a sudden, the severed right arm of CHAOS lifted itself off the ground and shot towards the main body with blinding speed.

"Aero!" Everyone screamed.

The Alforce V-dramon was right in its path….and was not able to get out of the way in time. Rather than knocking him over, the severed arm caught Aero in its 'flesh'. It was as if the whole arm was made out of some thick black fluid, which literally sucked Aero into it.

"RRRAARRRGGGHH!" Aero only managed a gurgled screech as he vanished into the goo.

"NO!" Janet sprinted across the area with full intentions on helping the dragon knight.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. A new limb emerged from the stump of the left arm, reaching across and grabbing the Gaioumon in its palm. Janet could do nothing but scream as she too disappeared into the body of CHAOS.

Now that the right and left arms of CHAOS were reattached, a second pair burst out from the sides with a disgusting series of squishing noises. With four arms instead of two, yet another surprise was in store for the dragons.

The head of CHAOS hovered and rejoined itself to the neck. A second head burst out with a thunderous roar, knocking Sekata, Zoe and Steve over.

"What the hell?" Sekata exclaimed, dizzy with tension. Everything had happened so fast.

"Janet! Aero!" Steve gasped.

"They're inside the body of CHAOS!" Zoe frowned. "I can feel their signatures within."

"We've got to get them out!" Steve broke into a run.

"Hey hold on!" Sekata warned.

CHAOS held all four arms to its chest, releasing two blobs of goop…which rapidly shifted and took on the forms of Gaioumon and Alforce V-dramon. Steve stopped in shock, a mistake which cost him dearly.

Both the shadow forms ploughed themselves into the Wargreymon, covering him with the same black liquid. Together with the misshapened blobs, Steve was sucked up and drawn into the chest of CHAOS.

Howling in rage, Zoe unleashed a fury of Positron Laser barrages while Sekata drew the Ryuukonken and fired off flaming bolts. The attacks combined easily created a massive explosion, but CHAOS barely seemed affected this time.

Once again, the astral dragon released the shadow forms, only now with a third one added to the mix…Wargreymon.

Sekata roared and tried to swipe the Gaioumon away, but it only splattered itself onto his body. The shadow form broke up into goop, expanding and sucking Sekata into its midst. Struggling was in vain and only got him absorbed even faster.

"Sekata!" Zoe attempted to reach for him, but was snagged up by the other two CHAOS forms.

"Zoe! RRARRGGHH!" Sekata's claw reached out wildly, but fell just short of Zoe's panicked reach.

That was the last thing either of them knew before darkness consumed their senses.

* * *

"Ugghh…" Sekata moaned, blinking.

The moment the Dorugoramon's vision cleared was the instant he tried to jump up and found he couldn't. He was literally stuck inside a wall, with only his head and neck protruding. Sekata tried to clench his fists, but even those could barely be moved. Even worse, the substance holding him in place was that same black goo that had sucked the dragon in earlier.

The area was dark, damp and stank of an odd fragrance.

_It's like…the inside of somebody's stomach… _Sekata told himself grimly, realizing that it wasn't at all far-fetched.

And he wasn't alone either as the soft moans quickly drew Sekata's attention towards the spot to his left.

"Zoe? Zoe! Answer me!" Sekata called.

The dragoness was back to her XV-mon form, and imprisoned in the same manner that he was.

"I can barely breathe…" Zoe muttered, struggling to no avail. "This is…"

The heads of Steve, Janet and Aero could be seen from where they were trapped partially in the opposite 'wall'. All three were back in their lower forms and seemed somewhat conscious. However, they were completely unresponsive to Sekata's calls other than their occasional groaning.

Snarling in frustration, Sekata made another futile attempt at wiggling himself free. Only that it seemed to take much more out of him this time.

"CHAOS is…draining us…" Zoe whispered.

"You're right…" Sekata realized. Already, it was taking much effort just to keep his eyes open. "I'm feeling…so…weak…"

"I'm glad you came back…" Zoe looked up. "Even if it was just for a while."

"Don't talk like it's….the end for us…"

"It could be…"

"Damn…" Sekata hissed. "It seemed like we were so close. But CHAOS was just toying with us, and…took us out in barely any time at all…"

"I don't want it to end like this. After everything we went through, I just….just…want to…"

"As long as I can spend these last moments….with you." Sekata's tone changed to a soft and calm one as tears trickled down his snout. "I guess it doesn't mean much now…"

"Sekata…" Zoe craned her neck, trying to get as close to Sekata as she could. "It always has. I was just…too frightened to tell you…"

"So was I…" Sekata admitted. "But I…I love you Zoe."

"I know…" Zoe managed a weak smile, her tears flowing freely now. "I've always known…"

"Just once…"

The two dragons reached for each other and their snouts touched….followed by their lips in a long, passionate kiss. Despite the direness of the situation, in-spite of the time and location, it was a moment both Sekata and Zoe wished could last forever.

Finally, the last of their strength left them and the morphs fell silent…for a few moments at least.

"Another presence…" Zoe breathed. "It's here."

"Whom?"

"The one who started all this."

_Indeed Chosen, it is I. _A voice rang out, although more in their minds that anywhere else.

"Omegamon!" Sekata and Zoe gasped.


	55. Towards the Sky

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Towards the Sky**

By nightdragon0

_I do not have much time left…_A semi-translucent image of the Legendary knight flickered into view, a single white light shimmering in the dark.

"What do you mean by that?" Sekata asked.

"Where are you?" Zoe called with a sudden spurt of energy.

_In this dimension, I exist everywhere. For it was my power that sealed the CHAOS here. _Omegamon told them. _But I will not last much longer, and that is why I must pass on my power…to you…one descended from…my blood. _

"Tell me something first!" Sekata cut in. "Why was it me? Why did CHAOS choose me?"

_Only you can answer that question my friend. _

"Sekata…" Zoe trailed off.

"Because….because there was great darkness in my heart." Sekata closed his eyes. "CHAOS wanted to exploit that darkness, but it didn't manage to. It was because of everyone…and you, Zoe."

The Dorugoramon let off a low chuckle.

"It was you guys, being around everyone, that really made me who I am. Thanks to that, I was able to walk down a path of light. And I…I changed my destiny because of it!"

Zoe felt herself getting surprisingly stronger, watching Sekata as he continued.

"I have no regrets." Sekata declared. "Given another chance, I'd walk down this path again and again, because I know…it was the right one."

_Your resolution is firm warrior. Even I did not know that CHAOS chose you to be its host. _Omegamon spoke. _However, when my powers are passed on…I will be gone. And CHAOS will be free once more…_

"Not if we stop it." Zoe responded. "Finish it here and now!"

_So it shall be…farewell warriors. _Omegamon's voice, as well as his image began to fade away. _The future…is yours to determine. _

"Omegamon!"

The knight's body disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind a huge white colored sword hovering in mid-air.

Massive, yet beautiful and deadly, the sword had a silver hit with two curved spikes that pointed upwards. At the base of the blade was a section decorated similarly to the blue and white patterns of Omegamon's armor. Going upwards was the white cutting edge, with a series of Digicode characters imprinted in gold.

"All delete…" Sekata read. "This is the Omega Blade…"

"His legendary sword." Zoe added in, eyeing the weapon in awe. The sword glowed and the XV-mon suddenly found her right arm free, gripping the hilt tightly.

"It's yours."

"But…"

"Clear all doubt from your heart! You are a descendant of Omegamon, a holy dragon." Sekata grinned. "And its time for you…for us…to finish this fight!"

"You're right! This is for us and for all our friends! We'll see this through until the end!" Zoe held up the Omega Blade as best as she could. "Matrix Evolution!"

At her command, blinding rays of light shot out from the sword and scattered in all directions. And around them, CHAOS began to scream.

* * *

None of the group was really aware of what happened in-between. However in seemingly the blink of an eye, the dragons found themselves tossed roughly onto the ground outside CHAOS' body. It wasn't very clean business either, with the dragons pulling themselves out of the blackish goop that had previously trapped them within.

The massive form of the CHAOS dragon stood before them, screeching and howling as it stumbled about. All four of its claws were over a gaping hole in its stomach as both heads threshed in a blind rage.

With an equally ferocious roar, Sekata pulled himself up, shoving the goop off his body. Steve, Janet and Aero were awake and groaning, but it was Zoe who got to her feet, holding the Omega Blade out to the sky.

"Damn…my head…" Aero forced his weary body up.

"Guuhhgg…" Steve moaned. "What happened?"

"Last thing I remember was CHAOS sucking us up…" Janet muttered.

"In short, it was Omegamon." Zoe explained. "This blade here represents the last of his power. It's our last chance at this…"

"You guys really saw him?" Steve gasped.

"Talked to his spirit at least." Sekata nodded. "But he's gone now….too drained of his power to continue…"

"The legendary Omegamon…" Aero trailed off.

"We can't afford to let him down." Zoe declared.

"So, what are we waiting for then?" Janet smirked, clenching her fists.

Nodding, Zoe raised the Omega Blade above her head. A golden aura emitted from the sword, bathing the dragons in a soft white light. It was a great change from the general darkness of the pandemonium and the light seemed to cause harm to CHAOS.

The dragons too were filled with a renewed feel of energy. Sekata watched as his friends once again transformed into their Mega levels of Alforce V-dramon, Wargreymon X, Gaioumon and Imperialdramon.

Zoe, however, was greatly affected by this new power. She went from her quadruped dragon form, to black-clad dragoniod fighter…and to a brand new mode.

"Imperialdramon, mode change! Paladin Mode!"

The dragoness' black armor glowed, taking on a white and golden coloring instead. Her general body structure remained the same, so it seemed like the only addition was the new armor and the Omega Blade.

But it was apparent that Zoe was involved in more than just that. She was now letting the powers of Omegamon's final gift flow through her body, taking her up to a whole new level.

CHAOS immediately reacted to the transformation, shooting off a ball of reddish flames. Steve quickly leapt to the front and brought his shield plates forward, proudly displaying the crest of courage on them. The Wargreymon was sent spinning back by the impact, but still managed to deflect the huge fireball.

Janet's twin swords came up and sliced the fireball in half, sending embers flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, Steve skidded across the ground, ending off to the side and slightly dazed. A shadow fell over him as CHAOS raised its tail to strike, but Zoe got in the way, making a sidewards slash with the Omega Blade.

A crescent-shaped ray of light shot out, smacking into CHAOS' face. The massive creature howled and slammed its tail down, fortunately missing Steve and Zoe. As the pair darted away, Sekata moved in.

Racing past at a high speed, Sekata tore through the right knee of CHAOS with his claws. The 'flesh' seemed to tear easily, leaving black stains on the Dorugoramon's claws.

"Hm? This is…" Sekata gasped as the stained vanished, seemingly absorbed into his claws. He didn't have much time to think however, for a hard kick from CHAOS sent him flying.

Aero caught the armored dragon in mid-air, helping to upright him whilst spinning to avoid the flames that CHAOS was spewing. Finding itself unsuccessful, CHAOS sent out a new elemental attack against them, this one being thunder.

By swiftly firing off his Shinning V Force, Aero was just in time to have it make contact with the lightning bolt. While it was enough to prevent them from suffering any serious injuries, the two dragons were thrown out of the air. Their armor took the blunt of the fall, cracking in various places.

Steve and Janet pelted CHAOS with projectiles, followed by an energy blade swipe from Zoe. The point of impact on CHAOS' lower back sent black goop spluttering out, but the wound quickly begun to heal.

"Brave Metal!" Jumping to his feet, Sekata's body burst into flames as he pushed off the ground and shot towards CHAOS like a bullet.

His astral foe hissed as Sekata smashed a hole in its left shoulder, emerging through the creature's back. Like the other damages inflicted, this hole start patching itself up as well. However, the process was considerably slower as compared to the earlier strikes.

"RRAARRGGH!" Sekata hit the ground covered in black goop. "This again!"

"Making physical contact seems to have that effect." Zoe rushed to his side, offering a hand. "You all right?"

To the Imperialdramon's surprise, the blackish stains simply faded away as Sekata stood up.

_No, they didn't just disappear. _Zoe realized. _They were absorbed into Sekata's body!_

As if he could tell from the look on her face, Sekata nodded grimly.

"It's the essence of CHAOS." The Dorugoramon explained. "I was the host chosen by CHAOS, so this stuff is easily absorbed into me."

* * *

"The essence of CHAOS?" Zoe gasped.

"Watch them." Sekata gestured.

Back at the battlefield, Aero had just deflected a fireball using his energy shield. Janet raced for it with her swords ready, but the samurai dragon hit the orb with the flat sides of the blades instead. Changing direction, the ball rocketed back towards its owner instead.

Janet didn't hesitate to add her own energy shot, Gaia Reactor, to the mix. Taking the cue, Steve executed his Gaia Force attack, with the number of energy spheres totaling as three now.

The attacks collided in a blinding flash of light, stirring up a huge cloud of smoke and dust.

When the view cleared, much of CHAOS' outer scales had been badly burnt. Puddles of its black colored goo-blood were also splattered everywhere. Yet, as grievous as the damages seemed, they once again repaired themselves in the blink of an eye.

"No way…" Janet stared.

"Are we even hurting that thing?" Steve muttered.

"Omegamon's power should've weakened it." Aero mused. "But is it still not working?"

Zoe wanted to charge back in to help, but Sekata gripped her shoulder.

"Us attacking normally just won't do it." Sekata told her. "But…I know of another way."

"And what's that?" Zoe asked, although she was sensing a very grim reply.

"CHAOS' essence bonds readily to me, as you've seen." Sekata explained. "That's exactly like draining the essence out of it. And draining the essence of CHAOS will in effect, drain it of its energy…thus weakening it enough for the Omega Blade to destroy it!"

"Do you realize how much of CHAOS' essence you'll have to absorb in order to substantially weaken it?" Zoe blurted out. "What will happen to you then?"

"It's the only way Zoe! This is something I've got to do!"

"But why? WHY? I don't want to lose you again!"

"I'm sorry Zoe…"

BOOM! A deafening explosion startled the pair. Turning towards the battlefield, they were horrified to find Steve, Janet and Aero sprawled across the floor with electrical burns and charred marks all over their bodies.

Steve had broken the left horn on his helmet as well as the 'fingers' on his right claw weapon. His wing shield plates were both snapped in half, with the crest of courage barely visible now. The armor on his right leg was missing, as was the chestplate of his upper body. And the scales beneath were bloody and burnt.

Janet had all three horns broken, as well as much of her white mane being charred. Many decorative parts of the samurai armor had been lost, including both shoulder pads, the right leg armor and right shin guard. A piece of shrapnel, probably her own armor, had become embedded in the left side of her stomach, leaving blood to flow freely.

Aero's wing membranes were completely torn up, along with his entire upper body armor. The energy shield generator on his left hand was missing, and his right ankle was also twisted at an odd ankle. He too was bleeding in many places and barely even breathing.

Enraged by the fall of their comrades, Sekata and Zoe drew and raised their respective swords, the Ryuukonken and the Omega Blade. The two executed a series of slashes, sending off waves of fiery and light energy respectively.

Several of the rays struck CHAOS dead-on, but the astral dragon still had a lot of fight left in it. With an astonishingly fast reaction, both its heads locked on and started spewing fireballs in different directions.

The two remaining dragons darted around the blasts, taking to the air. Immediately, the fours arms of CHAOS moved, calling forth blue lightning bolts.

Sekata found himself frantically dodging both elemental attacks, and finally managed to deflect a fireball into CHAOS' face. CHAOS' tail suddenly came around and smashed Sekata to the ground.

At the same time, one of the lightning bolts grazed Zoe's shoulder, causing her to howl in pain. Zoe managed a blind slash, hitting CHAOS with a wave of light elemental energy. But that wasn't enough to stop the retaliation of fireballs, which easily tossed the Imperialdramon into an out-of-control freefall.

Zoe hadn't even made contact with the ground before CHAOS launched its next attack, a freezing breath of ice. Like an Antarctic wind, a whitish fog sprayed all over the blue dragon. She could only scream in agony as the ice crept over her body, chilling it in a matter of seconds.

When Zoe finally hit the ground, she was already frozen up to her neck in ice.

While it had been distracted with Zoe however, Sekata had managed to get behind CHAOS. Now he leapt up with a salvage cry, slicing one head off with a swipe of his Ryuukonken. The severed head splattered in a shower of black goop, but the remaining one turned and launched a purple energy ball at him.

Acting on instinct, Sekata forced his worn muscles to move his sword, slicing the energy orb apart. However, it didn't simply dissipate like the normal fireballs…but broke into dozens of smaller ones instead.

Caught completely off guard, Sekata wasn't able to get away as the first of the smaller orbs came for him. There were no massive explosions this time, but something even worse.

Sekata felt two of the orbs touch his wrists. The next instant, two loud cracks sounded as the bones in his wrists simply snapped. Howling in pain, the Ryuukonken fell from his hands, now that the Dorugoramon was no longer able to hold it. His mind had barely taken that in when a second set touched his ankles.

SNAP!

Roaring long and deep, Sekata's mind erupted in sheer panic. The next crunches came from behind, where the bones at his wing joints were suddenly shattered. With his ability to fly stripped away, Sekata fell.

And then, five orbs came at once. Four at either of his shoulder and hip sockets, and one at the joint that connected his tail to his spine. Nothing could have prepared Sekata for the amount of pain that erupted as each of the bones in his joints snapped.

He was screaming till his voice was horse, and yet could do nothing. Two more orbs came, positioning themselves at the vertebra along his lower back and at the base of his neck before carrying out their destined tasks.

Sekata's voice was suddenly cut off and the dragon realized that even the bones in his jaws had been broken. As if the mental and physical torture weren't enough, the inevitable crash to the ground came.

The Dorugoramon was reduced to lying immobile and helpless in a crumpled heap of his own body. Even with all they'd fought using, even with Omegamon's power…it all seemed to be in vain. Left on his back, Sekata could only watch as the CHAOS dragon opened its jaws…preparing for the final blow.

A blow…which never came.

"Gaia Tornado!"

* * *

Sekata couldn't believe he'd heard that right. Of all the people that could've come to their rescue, this was one of the last ones Sekata had been expecting. However, there was no denying what he saw.

AncientGreymon, walking up and pelting CHAOS with another tornado of flames. The ancient dragon looked no better than the rest of their group, with his armor charred and broken. Raw flesh cut through and bleeding in too many places to count.

There were probably about a few hundred questions Sekata would've asked if his jaws weren't broken at the moment.

"Where's the vigor you showed when fighting me?" AncientGreymon wheezed. "You'd better not make me regret coming down here to help you!"

Inwardly, Sekata smiled. Somehow….somehow he'd just known, deep within, that AncientGreymon still had a heart. Still had that will and desire to fight for the Digital World, as he'd done so many years ago.

"This is gonna hurt kid. I hope you're ready…" AncientGreymon held a claw over Sekata's broken body.

Warm orange flames began to flow into Sekata that gradually grew hotter and hotter. Sekata felt his injuries healing and his bones reconnecting. True to AncientGreymon's word it did hurt, but Sekata was in so much pain already that he barely even felt the sting.

Some of those flames moved over to Zoe, slowly melting her out of the ice. The Imperialdramon dropped to her knees gasping as the healing flames flowed through her body too.

It wasn't long before Sekata and Zoe were standing again, now next to a panting AncientGreymon.

"You came back!" Sekata said happily.

"I should be saying the same about you." AncientGreymon nodded. "As always, resourceful."

"But how did you get in here?"

"Same way you did, using that portal. I passed by your friends outside and those knights…hey I didn't hurt any of them if that's what you're worried about. Ugghh…"

AncientGreymon collapsed as Sekata and Zoe knelt by his side.

"He's worn himself out!" Zoe realized.

The path leading in here had been perilous, especially now with all the spawns of CHAOS running about. It had taken the five members of their group working together to reach their destination. So for AncientGreymon to do it alone, it must've been an incredible feat.

"It's nothing…" AncientGreymon muttered.

"What changed your mind?" Sekata asked.

"You know…it was something I learnt today. And I learnt it from you." AncientGreymon smiled, for the first time, a genuine smile. "I realized what was really important in life. And it was making a difference…"

"Thanks…" Sekata whispered.

Suddenly, CHAOS shook off the tornado of flames and roared. All four arms shot forward, the claws extending into razor-sharp spikes.

"Watch out!" AncientGreymon abruptly pushed his way in front of Sekata and Zoe…taking each and every one in the chest.

"NO!" Sekata cried, horrified.

The Legendary Warrior had already been so badly weakened by the journey here, and by utilizing his power to heal them. A direct attack like that just could be enough to…

"It was…good…while it…lasted…" AncientGreymon coughed up blood from his mouth. "Finish this…you hear…"

"I…I will! That's a promise!"

"Good…because I'll…never….forgive you if…you…don't…rargghh….." AncientGreymon's body fell limp.

CHAOS tossed the armored dragon's lifeless body away, leaving it to dissipate in a cloud of data particles.

"Zoe!" Sekata called. "My plan! We have to go for it!"

"Sekata…" Zoe sniffed.

"No one else is going to die saving us! There have been enough sacrifices already!"

"Sekata…"

"Zoe…please trust me Zoe!"

"I will!" Zoe declared.

On the other side of the arena, Steve, Janet and Aero were miraculously beginning to awaken. Some of AncientGreymon's power must've rubbed off on them too, and Sekata wanted to make sure it wasn't wasted.

"It's not over…" Janet growled, clenching her fists. "Not yet…"

"I haven't given up!" Steve staggered to his feet with a determined look in his eyes.

"Give me…strength…" Aero muttered. Even on his broken ankle, the blue dragon managed to stand.

"Steve! Jan! Aero!" Sekata yelled. "Hit it from your side with everything you've got! Do it now!"

The three were weak, but their actions indicated that they'd heard everything.

"Poseidon Force!"

"Gaia Reactor!"

"Shining V Force!"

Blue, red and white energy slammed into CHAOS from three sides, leaving it screeching in pain. The massive dragon turned towards the trio, and that was just the distraction Sekata needed. Snatching the Omega Blade off the ground, Sekata tossed it to Zoe and retrieved the Ryuukonken for himself.

"Follow my lead!" The Dorugoramon ordered.

"Right on it!"

With Sekata in the lead, the pair took to the air. CHAOS sensed their approach, but it was already too late. Upon seeing their leading above, Steve, Janet and Aero broke off from their attacks…leaving Sekata with a clean shot at CHAOS' neck.

One that he made full use of, slicing the head cleanly off. With the deed done, Sekata dropped the Ryuukonken and held his claws out, drawing in the essence of CHAOS. It began with the head, breaking down into black goop, followed by a stream of similar subsistence from the severed neck.

By this time, Zoe was way above, with her gleaming white sword raised to the heavens. Bringing it down hard, Zoe slashed vertically down, cutting all the way through the headless body of the CHAOS dragon.

"Omega Blade!"

That was followed by a blinding explosion…then, it was all over.

* * *

"Sekata! Sekata!" Zoe screamed.

The others were all too weak to move much, leaving Zoe as the only one to run to Sekata's side. The rest of CHAOS' massive body had faded away, leaving Sekata kneeling in a puddle of the black goop.

"It's done Zoe…" Sekata panted.

"Sekata…" Zoe gasped. "Did you really…"

"I did." The Dorugoramon closed his eyes. "CHAOS is gone…but traces of its essence remain within me. Soon it'll grow and expand…and a new CHAOS will be formed. I understand it all now…I feel its power gathering up within me."

"No…there must be a way to stop it!"

"This is the point Zoe! The point where CHAOS is at its weakest!" Sekata explained. "So much that it's now tied to my life-force! And when that's gone…so will CHAOS!"

"No!"

"You have to use the Omega Blade on me Zoe!" Sekata gestured to the sword in the Imperialdramon's hands. "Kill me while I can still hold the CHAOS back!"

"No! NO!" Zoe screamed. "I can't…I just can't…"

"You have to!"

"I love you Sekata! I can't do this!"

"You will if you really do love me!"

"NO!"

"Then I will make you! RROOAAARRR!" Without even a bit of hesitation, Sekata lunged from his kneeling position.

Zoe blocked on reflex, but the difference in their body weights still knocked her down. The Omega Blade clattered to the side as Zoe lost her hold on it.

"Raaarrrrrwww!" Sekata whipped his tail, forcing Zoe to roll away.

The Imperialdramon sprang to her feet, but did not take any stance to defend herself.

"I won't do it!" Zoe insisted.

"I'm not holding back Zoe!" Sekata roared. "Come on! Take me!"

"Hey Sekata!" Steve shouted from his kneeling position. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Have you been listening to anything they've been saying?" Aero grimaced, touching his bad ankle.

"Erm…"

"Sekata drained a lot of CHAOS' power in order to weaken it." Janet spoke up. "That's probably the only reason why we were able to beat it."

"But by doing so, Sekata also absorbed the very essence of CHAOS, the shell programming." Aero continued.

Now, it was Janet's turn to look confused.

"Each Digimon has a core programming, or a soul to phrase it differently, that determines how he thinks and acts. Built around that is the 'shell' program, the physical body." Aero placed a palm to his chest. "That is linked to the different forms we take on. As the outer shell changes, so do our appearances."

"But then, Sekata's got too much of CHAOS in him, right?" Steve asked. "So it'll mean that…"

"Yes, in time, it will overwrite his shell program, as well as his core. That's the technical explanation at least." Aero nodded.

"And in lame man's terms?"

"Sekata's very soul will be corrupted." Janet realized. "He'll change, be completely taken over until there's not even a trace of his former self left!"

"Then, Zoe really has to…" Steve was unable to finish, turning to watch the struggle unfold.

Janet and Aero followed suit, for there was nothing else either of them could do.

* * *

Despite having Sekata continuously clawing at her, Zoe had been able to catch the entire conversation.

Sekata had deliberately slowed his attacking in order to let the message get through. He had to make Zoe understand his decision, and he had to do it quickly.

Yet, she was only dodging his attacking and backing away.

Flustered, Sekata dropped to all fours for a second and pushed off the ground in a cat-like pounce. The move caught Zoe by surprise as Sekata's claws locked with hers.

The Dorugoramon twisted slightly, forcing Zoe to resist by shoving back against his grasp.

"I won't do it!" Zoe grunted whilst continuing to struggle. "I won't fight you!"

"Won't or can't?" Sekata snapped.

"There has got to be a better way!"

"Even if there was, there isn't time! I can already feel CHAOS creeping into the back of my mind!"

"Come back with us Sekata! Maybe Wisemon and the others will be able to think of something!"

"Then you'll only end up having to lock me up like the last time!" Sekata cried. "Is that what you want for me? Is that something **you** want to go through again?"

"I…" Zoe's eyes widened in shock.

"Zoe…" Sekata turned away. "I'd rather die as the dragon you knew…the dragon you loved than one twisted and corrupted by CHAOS' evil. I just want you to know that…"

A tear dripped down his reptilian face and along his snout. The world stood still as Zoe watched it hit the floor.

_Sekata…you really mean…everything to us…to me…_The words flashed through the blue dragon's mind. _And I'll do this for you too!_

The Imperialdramon brought a leg up into Sekata's stomach and kicked hard. The Dorugoramon grunted as he flipped head-over-heels and back into a crouching position.

"Forgive me…" Zoe whispered, taking up the Omega Blade in hand.

"I already have." Sekata smiled in return.

Racing forward on all fours, Sekata snatched the Ryuukonken off the ground and curled into a ball. The dragon rolled the last few feet and leapt up, using the Ryuukonken to execute an uppercut-style attack. One that was parried in perfect timing by Zoe.

From then on, a furious swordfight erupted.

Blades flashed and clashed as their users bounded about. Like a well rehearsed performance, each stroke was met by another, each body movement in perfect sync.

Sekata and Zoe met each other head on, their blades crossed as the two dragons poured every ounce of their remaining strength into the fight.

It was not only a battle of life and death, but also a dance…a dance of love.

* * *

"She's really fighting back now." Steve muttered, watching the battle from afar.

The trio were on their feet now, with Steve supporting Aero due to the latter's ankle injury.

"The mural!" Janet suddenly gasped. "Damn! I should've seen through it before!"

"Mural?"

"The one I found in that old castle with all the ghost Digimon. Remember, the image of the white dragon stabbing the purple one?"

"Purple and white…" Steve blinked. "Oh no…"

Sekata's Dorugoramon body had purple scales and wing membranes, although the body was mostly covered by silver armor. On the other hand, none of the five had possessed a white dragon form…until this very last battle with Imperialdramon Paladin Mode.

"RRAARRWWW!" A gurgled roar snapped the Wargreymon out of his thoughts.

Zoe was standing firm…with the Omega Blade stuck through Sekata's chest. The Dorugoramon let his Ryuukonken drop and stared at Zoe for a long while.

Soon, Sekata began to laugh.

"And I wasn't even…holding back…"

Zoe pulled the blade out and tossed it aside, catching Sekata before he could hit the ground. Although weakly, Sekata reached up and stroked the side of Zoe's face.

The latter's tears were streaming down now, dripping onto Sekata's body and mingling with his blood.

"Be happy…" Sekata grinned.

"I know…" Zoe sniffed. "I know…"

Glancing towards Steve, Janet and Aero, Sekata flashed a thumbs-up. It was an automatically interpreted message that, in this case, meant 'Thanks for everything'. And the trio knew it, bowing their heads in respect.

"Live life for me Zoe." Sekata whispered. "That's the greatest gift of all…"

"I love you…I always will." Zoe sobbed.

"Goodbye Zoe…" Sekata nodded with a warm smile on his face.

Zoe bent over and kissed him, holding her snout against his even as Sekata's body started to fade away. The Dorugoramon's form broke up into white light and data particles, which scattered themselves in the wind.

There was no hiding the tears of the others as they too, wept with Zoe. The dragoness placed her hands on the Ryuukonken and the Omega Blade as she looked up, just in time to see the last of the white light fading away.

"Sekata…"

* * *

"Hey…" Dynamo waved weakly.

The dark knight and his comrade Metallix were leaning against the walls of the corridor, panting and covered with sweat.

They were a mess too, with their armor all battered and burnt. Bullet casings littered the area, along with piles of stone and debris.

"Garrgghh…" Metallix groaned. "We were beginning to wonder if you guys were alive or not."

"What did you expect?" Steve quipped.

"Sure, hog all the glory for beating the big boss while we got stuck with the endless flow of little ones." Dynamo sighed. "At least they finally stopped coming."

"When we destroyed CHAOS, all of its spawns must've gone down with it." Janet noted.

"Yeah, good for you." Dynamo muttered. "Huh?"

The Chaos Dukemon was startled to find Janet offering him a hand.

"This is for helping me before." The Gaioumon huffed. "But don't expect any other favors from me…ever!"

"Hahaha…always the same, princess." Dynamo chuckled.

"I don't get it." Steve whispered to Aero, whom he was supporting. "I thought she positively hated him."

"I guess going through near life and death encounters can change things." Aero shrugged.

"Was that something about me?" Janet snarled.

"No madam!" Both Wargreymon and Alforce V-Dramon shot out at once.

"Is Junon still here?" Zoe turned to Metallix.

"She brought Lucifer out through the portal." The Metal Garurumon X explained. "But from the message she sent, seems that he…well…didn't really make it. Injuries were too bad."

Despite the wolf's lack of expressive words, Zoe realized that the Royal Knights had lost someone important to them too. Metallix looked as if he wanted to ask about their fifth member, but decided against it after seeing Zoe's expression.

The Imperialdramon nodded and stepped past him, taking the lead along the path back out to the surface. Strapped across her back were the Ryuukonken and the Omega Blade.

Tears fell from her eyes as Zoe felt the cold, heavy weight of the weapons against her back.

Zoe herself didn't understand at first, until the vision of Sekata's smile snapped into her mind. Only then did she realize that she was crying tears of joy.

* * *

**3 Days later…**

Wisemon's group took them in without hesitation and nursed them back to health. The wizard had tried to keep things under wraps, but eventually the word got out.

And this time the town welcomed them as heroes. Still, Sealsdramon and Sleipmon did a good job at keeping the general crowd out of their wards, leaving the group to rest and recover in peace.

Ace had been crushed to hear about Sekata's death, but the Betamon occupied himself with helping his grandfather, Blappa. The Zudomon blacksmith had decided to work on a great sculpture to commemorate the triumph over CHAOS, promising that it would be the finest one they'd ever seen.

Lucifer had died of his injuries, leaving Junon to speak with Zoe. Like the others, Zoe was now back to her standard form of XV-mon.

"He told me that I was free to live my own life now." Junon recalled. "After serving others for so long…I just don't know what to do."

"Sekata told me the same thing." Zoe replied. "And I sincerely believe that there's a path for each of us. That's what they wished for us to do….have the courage to find that path."

"Hmm, perhaps you are right." Junon picked her helmet off the table at which they were seated. "I thank you for hearing me out."

"I should be saying the same for you."

"I will take my leave now." Junon bowed. "Perhaps we may meet again…"

However, as the pink armored knight reached the doorway, another humanoid Digimon suddenly stepped into the room. A gothic figure covered in thick black robes.

"Evza?" Junon gasped, staring towards the Lilithmon.

"Hey, wait up!" Aero and Steve stumbled over.

The former of the two was now hobbling about on crutches. However, both stopped upon seeing the stare down between Junon and Evza, unsure of how to react.

"I've heard about Lucifer's unfortunate demise." Evza spoke. "I wish to offer my sympathy."

"All is well and good, but I am curious as to why you are here." Junon responded.

"Because of a promise I made to Lucifer…that I would take you in if anything were to happen to him."

"He did?" Junon gasped.

"It will not be any more experiments or dark arts." Evza looked towards Aero. "Those have tainted my soul for far too long and caused much more harm than good."

Aero immediately knew that the Lilithmon had been referring to her daughter, Zelia. At the same time, he could also see that she was sincere about her words.

"You don't really know what to go on either, do you?" Junon queried.

The look in Evza's eyes told the Rhodo Knightmon everything.

"Then we do have a lot in common." Junon smiled. "Very well, I'll accept your offer."

* * *

"Junon was still here?" Janet remarked as Zoe, Steve and Aero took seats around the hospital room. "Dynamo and Metallix hightailed it out of here the moment they were able to walk."

"Personality is personality." Aero laughed. "All they're really interested in is money."

"Everything's wrapped up and ready to go people." Katsu happily announced upon entering the room.

"Do you still have them?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, right here." The Shadramon reached into his bag and pulled out the three CHAOS shards, placing them down on the table. "I managed to keep them safe throughout the fight, and I brought them back once the portal was closed."

"They're still radiating with energy." Aero commented.

"What are you implying?" Steve raised a hand.

"We might be able to open the portal to that dimension again." Aero explained. "And by studying the energies there, it's quite practical that we could find a way…"

"For us to go back?" Janet's ears perked up. "Back to our original world?"

"Even with the completion of the reality shift, I recall Omegamon mentioning that there still was a way." Zoe nodded, taking hold of one of the crystal shards.

Steve and Janet each took a shard too. A single glance between the three morphs was enough of a signal. And much to Aero and Katsu's shock, the dragon trio crushed the CHAOS shards in their claws.

"W…what did you guys do that for?" Aero stuttered.

"Too risky." Janet growled. "After all the trouble we went through to fix things, I certainly don't want to do it all over again."

"We're an actual part of this world now, so why waste a good thing?" Steve continued.

"Sekata…he gave up so much for us, and for this world." Zoe finished. "Live life for me…I want to do that here…in my own way."

"As do we all." Janet laughed.

"So, it's finally over…" Steve nodded.

"No, not just yet…" Zoe raised a finger.

* * *

"GGarrrggghhhh! Will you stop this already?" The head of Chaosdramon screeched. "If you're going to continue humiliating me like this, you might as well dismantle me instead!"

"If you'd shut up for a bit, we would be able to finish this faster and turn your optic sensors back on." Steve growled.

"I get manhandled and hooked up to gadgets like a piece of trash!" Chaosdramon continued complaining. "It's absolutely degrading! I don't know what thing you've fixed me up to this time, but I…huh?"

The mechanical dragon felt the bottom part of his head connect to something, which instantly hummed and charged up with energy. Then, he felt something….a neck?

Yes, he suddenly seemed to have one. And he could feel his hands again. In addition, they moved! They actually moved!

Finally, his optical sensors (or eyes) came on, leaving Chaosdramon staring in awe.

There he was, looking down at his own dinosaur-like body. All exactly as he remembered it to be, with a powerful pair of legs and a smaller set of forelimbs. His armor had the same red and gray plating, along with the twin cannons mounted on his back.

Chaosdramon X waved his arms about, shifted his feet and swung his tail back and forth in delight. He then realized that he'd been placed in some kind of mechanical workshop with Zoe, Steve, Janet and Aero standing around him.

"How does it feel?" Zoe asked him. "Satisfy you?"

"I…I don't understand…" Chaosdramon muttered. "You did this…for me?"

"Yeah, we worked with the local mechanics here and built this new body for you." Janet nodded.

"Are there some conditions attached?"

"No, this one is on us." Zoe stepped in front of the larger dragon. "We're letting you go free."

"Aren't you at all afraid that I might come back to haunt you?"

"I know you won't. Not only because you helped us find that portal, but also because of what you asked me." Zoe closed her eyes. "About 'that' emotion."

"Hmmm…so, what is it really?"

"Unfortunately, it's not something I think I can just explain like this."

"Then…"

"The only way was to show you, and then let you discover it for yourself."

"To show me?" Chaosdramon looked confused and touched his chest for a second. "By giving me…a new body?"

"I think you're already beginning to understand." Zoe smiled.

"But where would I go from here?" Chaosdramon wondered.

"There's a path for each of us." Zoe pushed the door open, revealing the tiled roads of the village and the mountains beyond. "All we need to do is have the courage to find that path."

The red dragon looked down at Zoe for a while, and then scanned through the faces of the others. Finally, he started lumbering off the platform and out through the doorway. However, Chaosdramon paused at the door for a while longer.

"Thank you." He whispered, although it was almost too soft to hear.

Squinting against the orange rays of the setting sun, the party watched Chaosdramon go until he had finally disappeared from sight.

"I think there's a bit of Sekata in him after all." Aero broke the silence.

"Not just him, in all of us." Steve remarked. "That's the way we all want to remember Sekata as."

"Wow, I never knew you could be that sentimental Steve." Janet growled.

"Hey, know what?" Steve took hold of his Strikedramon companion's claw. "I can be pretty romantic too."

"Moron." Janet whacked the Flamedramon on the shoulder. However, she too was squeezing his claw in return.

Smiling, Zoe turned away from the scene of her friends playfully fighting and looked towards the setting sun.

_It's finally over. We can all settle down and relax now. And I know you're watching me from somewhere out there too. _

Zoe was sure that her message would reach him, some how…some way. She just believed in it.


	56. The Journey Begins

_Digimon / Digital Monsters and all related trademarks belong to Bandai. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission._

* * *

**Epilogue: The Journey Begins**

By nightdragon0

**45 Years Later….**

I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. The years may have come and gone, times and changes all flashed by. And yet, that memory will forever remain fresh in my mind.

How I wish you could see what we've all accomplished, Sekata.

The Akchenedash region was supposed to be a pretty remote place, but somehow the word must've gotten out. For we were met by all sorts of Digimon along our way home, all having heard about our exploits.

Perhaps they'd read about the legends too, and I guess it helped that I was holding the Omega Blade in my hand. Others were skeptical, but the stories and rumors still spread and we became pretty famous for a while.

Many sages, wizards and such come down to the region after sensing the strange disturbance, only to find the signature of CHAOS gone for good. I suppose they had a hand too in spreading the tale of that great battle.

Life was never really the same back at the store after that.

Even with CHAOS gone, it's not a perfect world. Evil natures and characters still exist….the darkness and the light remaining in perfect balance, as they should be. People began to call on our place, hiring our help for this quest or that battle. So it was inevitable that I'd improve greatly.

I've become very good with swords, so much that I now wield the Ryuukonken and the Omega Blade together.

Of course, I wondered time and time again whether you'd placed your soul within the Ryuukonken like before, but all my psychic senses have told me otherwise. And the Omega Blade has lost most of the power Omegamon placed into it, leaving only faint traces. It's just an ordinary weapon now.

Eventually, we left Katsu and Adrian at the base and moved on our separate ways. Aero went back to his old life of wandering and drifting around the globe, although he's much better known now.

Steve and Janet are a mating pair now, and they've started up this mechanical and electronics business. Be it computers, machines, weapons….they're the ones to look for.

And Steve never did go back to the Digimental Knights, mainly because he didn't want to risk stirring up any lost memories there. But he still sees his brother, Rain, and their secret is still kept just between the few of us. Rain has grown up a lot, and he's actually looking up to be the next commander of the knights.

As for me…well…to tell the truth, I didn't really know what I wanted to do at first. Like Aero, I drifted and traveled around for a few years, going where the winds and the trails would take me.

But I guess I couldn't really get out of the spotlight, for I was recognized almost everywhere I went. I've had my fair share of both good and bad encounters, but that's life I suppose. I was the big hero and everything, however I always felt that I got more credit than I really deserved.

The true, unsung hero of the CHAOS battle was you, Sekata.

Eventually, I did settle down. A couple of youngsters came up and wanted to train to fight under me. It was kinda awkward at first, but I took them under my wing. Then, more and more came….and before long, I had an entire combat academy under me.

The other all pitched in to help out, but finally everything was up and running. You'll never believe it, Sekata, but the place where I established the dojo was the cavern where you and I spent our first night in the Digital World together.

I've been there ever since, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've taught me.

* * *

That day began like any other.

I was doing my usual checks around the building, making sure the students were all up and the instructors were running the place when I suddenly remembered. Today was the anniversary of our final battle against CHAOS.

Steve and Janet would be dropping by today, and I wanted to look my best. I've never thought of myself to be vain, but I spent hours in my quarters choosing what to wear.

Despite having our D-Dragon powers, I still preferred to remain as an XV-mon most of the time and simply outfitted myself in the academy's colors.

First was a pair of loose-fitting black leather pants that left plenty of space for my tail. Over my upper body was a thick, sleeveless white vest decorated with the black patterns of dragons. The back had holes designed for my wings while the front was left slightly open, so I could easily use my X-laser ability without damaging the material.

Finally I pulled on a black hakama around the pants. It was more of a martial artist's formal skirt, but I like the looseness and the feel of the material. Then, I picked up the Ryuukonken and the Omega Blade, twirling them around before placing them into the two sheaths between my wings.

Steve and Janet were late, but any time I could meet them was always worth the wait.

"Hey Zoe." Steve winked as we took seats around the garden. "My, you're looking good. What's with all the formal wear?"

"Don't be so rude." Janet scolded. "You don't want to make fun of the Sensei in front of her students."

"Well, it's a special occasion, isn't it?" I laughed.

Steve was a Flamedramon, as always, although he had his gauntlets hooked on his belt. On the other hand, Janet had taken a liking to her Cyberdramon look, choosing to stay mostly in that form. It did look a little odd as she was significantly taller than both Steve and me, but we were all used to it by now.

"Oh, and how are the eggs?" I asked.

"Ours? All three of them are looking good." Steve grinned. "The incubator's keeping them all nice and warm back home."

"Is it a good idea to reply on it so much? You're gonna be a father soon."

"Haha, well I expect Janet to help out. Eh mommy?"

WHACK!

"OW!"

"Quit making fun of me." Janet quipped. "Especially when I'm the one doing most of the work while you're lying around the house."

That got all of us laughing. As much as the inevitable changes came, it was good to know that some things would always be the same.

"By the way, we came across something you might be interested in." Janet pulled out a CD and handed it to me.

"What is it?" I asked, placing the disc into my laptop.

"Watch and see."

I brought up the main screen and hit the play button. There wasn't much to see at first because the view was dark and jerky, with a lot of screaming and explosions in the background. I then realized that it was that way because the cameraman was running too.

Finally, the cameraman stopped and turned back, pointing the camera to the top of a volcano. He was still reasonably close as lava and rocks were blown out of the crater, shaking up his view even more. However, he was either brave enough or stupid enough to keep his camera pointed there.

"There! Pause it and look there!" Steve pointed.

I hit the pause button, though slightly confused.

"Zoom in, right there." Janet gestured.

It was only then that I spotted what had Steve and Janet so excited. And my heart skipped a beat when I did.

Something or someone was emerging amidst the stream of lava, which was what the cameraman had really been screaming about. It was a distinctive…almost familiar dragon-like shape, whose upper body could just be seen above the smoke.

As blurred as it was, it was still relatively easy to make out the shape of the head and wings. Especially since I had become used to seeing one exactly like this.

_Could it really be? _

"Dorugoramon?" I asked. "Is that what you guys were thinking?"

Dorugoramon was a form that not just any Digimon could take on. But I had to get something else…some other sign to proof to myself that…

"There!" I gasped.

On the dragon's right fist was a small device. It wasn't very clear either, but it seemed to be shaped like a miniature version of a dragon's head.

"I never saw that before." Janet muttered.

"Hey, that almost looks like a D-Dragon…." Steve began.

All of a sudden, I was up on my feet.

"Where did you guys find this?" I asked, quivering.

"This is the town and the name of the store we got this from." Steve handed me a palmtop.

Immediately, I snatched the device and scanned through the words before bolting for the gate.

"Wait! Hey! Where are you going?" Janet called.

"To find out." I held up the palmtop. "I just have to know. Know if it could really be him!"

"Hold on! We're coming too!" Steve and Janet yelled, running after me.

However, I already had quite a bit of a head start.

_In truth…our journey never truly ended on that day. _I told myself. _That was only the beginning…_

**END **

* * *

**_Author's Closing Comments:_ **

_To all my friends, readers, and everyone who's gotten to this point, I have to extend my gratitude to you for reading this tale all the way through._

_I may not have replied to each and every one of you personally, but I did take your comments, suggestions, notes and everything to heart. _

_Sometimes, I really couldn't think of anything to respond with other than 'Thank you'. Others would involve revealing too many spoilers, or sometimes there just wasn't an e-mail address for me to reply to. But I still appreciated all the feedback. _

_This story has pretty much been the longest project I've done thus far, as you can probably tell from the start date and completion date. A total duration of 4 years. _

_I'm sure I could've finished it up much earlier, but that's how real life works with getting in the way of this dragon._

_It started off as following a trend, never intending for it to go too far along, but somehow things worked out differently. There are a lot of 'could haves', from could've been different, could've been better, could've done this or done that, but in the end, I'm happy with how this story turned out._

_The ending may seem to some as just 'trailing off', but it's part of the feelings I have for this story. This has been one great journey for me, one that I don't want to come to an end._

_As such, the story goes on…it's all up to one's imagination. Of course, I'll gladly answer any closing questions through e-mail and such._

_Once again, my thanks and to one and all._

_**--nightdragon0**_


End file.
